Oringinally written as an article for The Expositor and offered here for our On Call readers.

This commentary is written at the invitation of the host of The Expositor blog site, Mike Corley and is the result of many meaningful hours of personal discussion between two brothers in Christ.  Mike and I are partners in ministry working together producing the On Call with Dr. Dan Edney radio broadcast.  We have a close relationship involving professional work, personal friendship, and spiritual support of each other.  We have great respect for one another and have a mutual loving relationship in Christ Jesus.  We have come to know each other very well and have supported each other through several of life’s trials as we have worked together over the past five years.  The most interesting aspect of our friendship has to do with our differing opinions regarding many issues he chooses to tackle through the Expositor and Mike Corley Program ministries.  Hence, the following comments are composed for your review.

Mike and I complement each other nicely in terms of how we approach life issues in general and controversy in particular.  As you know by following his writing and radio broadcasts, he is a bit on the bold side choosing to attack issues with full force and pulling few of the punches he throws.  He has been characterized as a bomb thrower, flamethrower, attack dog, and hammer attacker, and these are my descriptions as one of his best friends.  I will let him share his characterizations of me at another opportunity.  Why would someone chose to fellowship, work, and even solicit the opinions of someone who calls him such things?  Probably because he knows I care deeply about him, his family, and his ministry and know the tremendous value of each.  I suspect that he respects my opinions even when they differ sharply from his own because he knows I likewise respect his.  So why is any of this of importance?

Mike and I have had several extensive discussions regarding the issue of discernment ministries.  Mike approaches the issue from the perspective of a preacher and defender of the Gospel while I have the perspective of a healer as a practicing physician.  As such, discernment is important to both fields of study we represent.  In fact, we agree that discernment should be actively pursued as part of each believer’s spiritual growth and also agree that far too many of us are lacking in this discipline.  Because of this deficiency among believers and the proliferation of false teachings invading the Church, we also agree on the need and importance of ministries devoted to exposing such false teachings and to boldly defend the Gospel.  Our differences have centered on style, techniques, and approaches to criticism rather than content.

One discussion we had recently prompted Mike to ask me to write this commentary.  I shared with him my concern regarding various discernment ministries I had listened to and that I was becoming concerned about the “hammer doctor” phenomenon.  We have a descriptive term in medicine for physicians that develop such tunnel vision in their scope of practice that it destroys their objectivity, which is vital to the practice of medicine.  We describe such specialists, as “when you are a hammer then the entire world becomes a nail”.  Meaning that when your focus becomes too narrow or your perspective becomes too limited then your analysis of what is being evaluated becomes distorted and limited.  My observation had been that certain ministries seemed to be experiencing the “hammer ministry” effect finding false teachers where perhaps there were none.  This brought out the point of how to hold discernment ministries accountable.  How do we as the Church protect against self-proclaimed discernment ministries from being false teachers themselves.  Ironically, the best answer I have is by each one of us using biblical discernment and God inspired wisdom to protect the Church from all forms of false teaching.  This general topic emphasizes the broad point that as individual believers and disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ we are biblically instructed to be as were the Bereans {Acts 17:11} regarding all teaching given in the name of the Lord.  We are instructed by the Apostle Paul to test such teachings in the light of the scriptures.  In the end, the Holy Spirit has the ultimate discernment ministry and I take courage in knowing that fact.

Yes, I do see and understand the need for legitimate God inspired discernment ministries and yes, I can recognize the great harm potentially done to sound biblical teachers by the carnal misuse of such ministries.  However, if we approach such issues and more importantly approach each other with a spirit of love we can each help to correct one another’s missteps and misstatements and cause the Church to be stronger for it.  The importance and even urgency of this truth lies in the teaching of our Lord in that in the last days false teachers will arise with increasing frequency to try to deceive us {Matt.24:4-8}.  For the sake of the Church and for the sake of the Gospel, let us be discerning indeed.

God Bless you.

Dr. Dan Edney

As I write this commentary, we are ending the first month of 2007 and so far so good at the Edney home. I have enjoyed wishing my patients a happy New Year and happy to declare that we indeed have made another year by the grace of God. As I reflect on the many life and health issues in my life and that of my many patients, I truly understand how it is only by the grace of God that any of us were able to survive another year in this fallen world. When I review the various diseases and conditions, which affect my patients, it also becomes evident how little most of us do to try and be alive for another year.

Of the top five health care problems confronting me on a daily basis as an American physician, all of them have a strong association with unhealthy lifestyles. These include heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, and cancer. Of course, there are many other diseases that fit this description, but simply focusing on these five and changing people’s behaviors impacting these five would revolutionize the health status of our country.

So, what’s the problem? Very simply, we as Americans seem to be convinced that we are immortal. As a nation, we are approaching our healthcare the same way we are handling our finances. Just as the majority of us are splurging on material pleasures by using credit inappropriately, we are postponing concern for our long-term health for another day. It is as if we are using a “good health credit card” and living any way that brings us pleasure while delaying the pay off for as long as possible. For many of us, our “Good Health Credit Card” is well above its limit and threatening to CANCEL US. Unfortunately, we are not able to do “debt consolidation” or perform a “balance transfer” to another card. Our bodies are the only “account” we will ever have on earth. Knowing this fact, how do we work ourselves out of the life and health debt hole? We do not have the option to declare bankruptcy and start over with the protection of the court. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able and declare Chapter 7 against lung cancer or file chapter 13 against end stage diabetes with secondary blindness and kidney failure thereby wiping the slate clean with our health? Sorry, God has not so allowed which leaves us with limited options. We actually must decide to exercise discipline and discernment in our life choices if we are to live as healthy a life as possible.

Accepting this truth, here are some important decisions to make for this New Year. First of all we must confront our mortality and realize that the number of our days are limited just as are the dollars in our bank account. This means we need to be the best stewards of the health of our bodies as we possibly can. By doing the following suggestions faithfully, you can compound the health and wellness benefits much like the effect of compounding interest in your investment account. First decision is to evaluate for substance abuse. If you use any amount of tobacco in any form then you are a substance abuser and cessation of tobacco use will likely be the most powerful health improvement factor of all. However, we need to evaluate other substances such as alcohol, caffeine, and even sugar. Tobacco use, especially smoking, has incredibly powerful negative consequences affecting virtually every organ system of the body. Smoking either directly causes or aggravates many various health issues such as cancer of the lung, colon, bladder, throat, tongue, stomach, and others. It is strongly associated with stroke, heart disease, and peripheral vascular disease. It clearly aggravates osteoporosis, gastric reflux disease, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, and even causes worsening of chronic lower back pain. It is easy to see that by eliminating this one behavior one can positively impact one’s health in multiple ways.

The second major decision for all of us should be our eating habits. Unless you are on a prescription diet by your physician (such as a diabetic diet), the key principle is moderation. Eating is a major part of our lives occurring multiple times every day. God designed our bodies to enjoy eating and we can gain much pleasure from eating properly. Because of this fact, I rarely recommend strict dieting and do not endorse fad dieting, as you cannot realistically maintain this style of eating. However, moderating calorie intake downward and making wise food choices with reduced fat, cholesterol, sodium, concentrated sweets, and simple carbohydrates will have a very positive impact on health as well as weight control.

Decision number three works synergistically with number two and that is exercise. Likewise the important concept with exercise is moderation. I instruct all of my patients to start their exercise program by going “low and slow”. That is to start with a relatively low impact activity (i.e. walking) and begin with a short time duration. Most people fail with their exercise routines because they are confronted with needing to do thirty minutes of aerobic activity three to four days each week. The negative psychological impact defeats most people before they even start. However, we all literally can get started by exercising five minutes three to five times per week doing an activity that is enjoyable to prevent boredom. This will establish your exercise routine as part of your week and will protect you from injury or excessive soreness, which also causes many to quit early on. As you establish your exercise routine, you can then slowly increase the amount of time and the level of exertion until you are at your doctor recommended levels. The importance of exercise regarding your wellness is several fold. By performing aerobic exercise, you increase your metabolic rate thus burning more calories over the course of the day, including while sleeping. Exercise helps to preserve bone and joint health and is critical in treating osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, chronic back pain, and even depression. It also has a powerful impact on your sense of well being via endorphin production. The combination of healthy eating habits and exercise do act in synergy by multiplying each other’s effect which allows one to do both in moderation rather than crash dieting or living in the gym.

Decision number four should focus on preventive health care. This should be done in consultation with your physician, which means you need a regular doctor. The value of having a physician who knows you and your health care issues is invaluable and may actually save your life. It is not uncommon that because of a long-term doctor-patient relationship that I am able to identify an issue for my patient that left untreated could result in their death. The worst time to establish a relationship with your doctor is by meeting him or her in the ER or ICU. Regular check ups and physicals allow you to work with your physician to protect you from serious health problems before they make you sick. Think about this. Do you drive your car as hard and fast as you can with no maintenance other than adding fuel or do you change and rotate your tires and change the oil, etc? How much more infinitely valuable is the health of your body than the health of your car? Mammograms, colonoscopy, bone density screening, blood pressure checks, blood work (i.e. glucose, cholesterol, PSA), pap smears, and many other health activities are of great importance in protecting and maintaining your health.

We will close with decision number five although we could continue for many more. This decision is associated with number four but deserves its own attention. That is vaccination health. Vaccinations are one of the most important advances in the history of medicine. Polio, mumps-measles-rubella, and diptheria-pertussis-tetnus vaccines have virtually eliminated the death and suffering that was simply part of living in the pre-vaccine world. Now these diseases are so rare that it makes it difficult for doctors to recognize them when they do occur. 36,000 people die every year from common influenza with the vast majority not being vaccinated and the pneumovax, commonly called the pneumonia shot, has prevented millions of cases of life threatening pneumonia. We now can vaccinate against hepatitis A and B preventing cirrhosis and liver failure and most recently the herpes zoster vaccine to protect against debilitating shingles. Obviously this is part of good preventive medicine and is another aspect of regular check-ups with your doctor.

Five key decisions which if implemented could and should drastically improve your long-term health and wellness. Why not take some time and pray about these issues in your life and the lives of your family. Should you be convicted to focus better on these issues, a great place to start is with a visit with your doctor to establish a safe and healthy game plan especially for you. By doing so, you certainly can have a happy and healthy 2007.

May God bless you as you process these decisions and may He bless your new year.

Dr. Dan Edney

If you follow the ministry of our radio show, you know of my recent trip to Lebanon as part of a disaster response medical team. This arose from the acute needs of the Lebanese people following the war between Israel and the Hezbollah terror organization in Southern Lebanon. I have been asked many questions regarding answering this call to go. These include “why go to Lebanon?”, “aren’t you afraid?”, “will it be dangerous?”, “why is it necessary for American physicians to go?”. These were all valid questions and certainly were in the forefront of my mind as I prepared to go. However, I did not have full answers to these questions and knew God expected me to step out in faith.

Certainly, I was dealing with many varied and in fact mixed emotions which all began with the mobilization call. I had already been following the events in the Middle East leading up to the summer war between Israel and Lebanon and was quite interested in what was happening in the region. So when I received the call from the disaster response office of the Mississippi Baptist Convention I was immediately excited about the opportunity to go. I knew from our previous disaster response trips that there would be unique opportunities to serve God and share our faith in Christ by providing high quality medical care to those who were desperate for such care. I would not be disappointed.

Despite the hatred that was palpable due to the casualties and destruction of war, the Lebanese people responded to the love of God in a profound way. The gratitude and hospitality of those whose world had been turned upside down were great encouragement to all of us who had traveled far and felt at risk being in Southern Lebanon. The experience of Lebanon was very instructive in treating people who had lost everything but their lives. Many had lost loved ones as well and many were injured themselves either by the bombing or from living in this war torn environment. The injuries, needs, and diseases were very similar to the other disaster zones we had worked such as the tsunami or hurricane Katrina. The new lessons, which were of great value to the medical teams working in this type environment, had to do with the psychological trauma of living with and through a man made disaster. It is horrible enough to experience the losses described by the tsunami and hurricane survivors, but the added burden of knowing that this very disaster in Lebanon was avoidable. Not only was it avoidable but it was in fact intentional. It is one thing to lose your home or your family to a natural disaster. It is an added burden to know you lost your home or your family due to man’s inhumanity to man.

The medical response teams expect to diagnose and manage post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in most every disaster event, but the PTSD issue was multiplied over and over due to the man made dimension in Lebanon. Disaster events such as the war in Lebanon or the 9/11 terrorist attacks haunt the survivors with the fact that people wanted this to happen and went to great effort and cost to make sure it happened. These facts make the nightmares more vivid, the fear run deeper, the recovery phase prolonged and it makes the work of providing caring medical support that much more difficult. Despite these increased challenges and certainly even because of them, the power and the love of God was even more evident and effectual in changing these effected lives. This was the purest and most powerful source of healing for the survivors. It provided a stark contrast for those enduring the suffering from those who attacked them. It then also provided an even more dramatic contrast with those who ministered to them and in the process brought healing through the love of Christ Jesus. In the final analysis, the best answer to the many questions I was confronted with was being obedient to the call of God. By doing so, God’s love and healing spirit were allowed to work through his servants on the medical response teams. Indeed, how much more danger would we have been in had we refused to go.

God’s blessing upon you all and may the peace and comfort of our Lord Jesus Christ bless the wonderful people of Lebanon.

Dr. Dan Edney

The Seven Pillars of Health
by Dr. Don Colbert
The Natural Way to Better Health for Life

What you can do for yourself concerning your health, God will not do. It’s up to you to do it now. Most diseases are caused by unhealthy lifestyles, poor diet, lack of exercise, stress, and inadequate sleep. This book, based on best-selling author Dr. Don Colbert’s life message, reveals seven fundamental principles that will enable people to walk in and enjoy the health God intended. Dr. Colbert was a guest on the On Call program recently. Hear that interview by clicking on our Archived Audio page!

Conduct Under Fire
by John Glusman
Four American Doctors and Their Fight for Life as Prisoners of the Japanese 1941-1945The fierce, bloody battles of Bataan and Corregidor in the Philippines are legendary in the annals of World War II. Those who survived faced the horrors of life as prisoners of the Japanese. In Conduct Under Fire, John A. Glusman chronicles these events through the eyes of his father, Murray, and three fellow navy doctors captured on Corregidor in May 1942. Here are the dramatic stories of the fall of Bataan, the siege of “The Rock,” and the daily struggles to tend to the sick, wounded, and dying during some of the heaviest bombardments of World War II.

Click on each photo to view the full image.

Many of you know that part of my calling as a physician is participating in medical disaster response. I was first convicted about this issue in response to the 9/11 attacks. That fateful day was a wake-up call for physicians as well as the general population. I knew at that time that physicians, nurses, paramedics, and virtually all types of health care workers would be on the very front line of any mass casualty event. At that time, our greatest concern was either bio-terrorism or nuclear/radiologic terrorism. So that America’s health care system would be better prepared the AMA and CDC jointly developed specialized training for working mass casualty events based on the model of basic and advanced life support. Unfortunately, medical school and residency programs were and are unable to dedicate the time it takes for training young doctors how to respond to such attacks.

I was fortunate to be able to take the very first course as it was conducted at one of our AMA meetings. I did indeed pass the course and became certified in “disaster life support”. As you well know, we have thankfully had no successful terrorist attacks on the Homeland since 9/11 and thus this training has not been put to the test for such situations. However, a catastrophic mass casualty event did occur on 12-26-04 known as “the tsunami”. As I heard the testimonies of physicians who had been caught in this tragedy and the great work they did to serve the people of the Indian Ocean rim, I was struck with the thought that my mass casualty training could also be used for natural disasters. After all, the power of nature far overshadows that of our enemies. With a few inquiries through the Mississippi Baptist Convention disaster leadership, I was placed on a team that worked in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. This was the first and hardest hit area within the tsunami zone. Indeed, the excellent training I had received was invaluable in working effectively in this environment. I was honored to have had the opportunity to serve God in this manner.

Then one year ago another catastrophic natural disaster occurred, but this time on our own shores. That event was Hurricane Katrina. Interestingly, we had already been discussing the need for a faith based medical response team for any type of a large-scale disaster. We just never imagined that our first true test would be in Mississippi. Because of the obvious medical needs of our own people, we formed the first and only medical response unit attached to the main team of a Southern Baptist disaster team. This made us a new breed of animal in the world of disaster response, but the important issue was that we were part of the coordinated response to the Katrina disaster. That simply meant that we submitted to the incident commanders who were responsible for seeing the big picture and we went where they told us to go rather than just showing up unexpectedly. The true heart of America’s health care workers shined forth as we had volunteer doctors and nurses from all over the country that came down to work with us. What a blessing they were to us all, and they helped make the medical response a success being attached to the main effort as discussed. Now our plan is to train as many physicians, nurses, and lay people as possible to maintain a prepared and organized “strike force” that can respond anywhere in the world or at home. Also, to be ready to work as a mainly medical response team as we did in Indonesia or part of an overall disaster response team as we did for Katrina.

Because of this experience, I feel somewhat qualified to address the issue of disaster preparedness. First of all, the loss of life in both of these events had to do with sub-optimal evacuation of the population. Of course, with the tsunami there was no evacuation as there was no early warning system in place at that time. With Katrina, there was ample warning and an evacuation order given, but these are always voluntary and there are always risk takers who try to ride out the storm. Another significant group, which was not evacuated before the storm, was those without their own means of transportation. This mainly impacted the New Orleans area and certainly caused serious human suffering. The overall disaster response by the various NGO’s such as the big three comprised of the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Southern Baptists did a great job. I was very impressed with the level of cooperation among these groups and how they intentionally worked to be as effective and efficient as possible in supplying hot meals, medical attention, shelter, and clothing/personal items for those in need. In my opinion, this was a definite successful response that is still on going.

However, in contrast to the praise of the impacted population for the faith based NGO’s, there was and is harsh criticism regarding the governmental response via FEMA. In this regard I do not feel qualified to give an expert opinion. Obviously, there were major problems including security, post-event evacuation, and general physical support by the government. However before rushing to judgment, we must remember that Katrina was unique in the history of disasters in America including its scope of affected area, cost of damage incurred, and general devastation. In fact, many areas of the Mississippi Gulf Coast closely resembled the tsunami zone in Indonesia. There really was no previous experience with a Katrina level event, and operating based on the “business as usual model” did not work. We as a society must look at alternative means of evacuation and overall response. This will have to come out of intense study of the event and absolutely must be done, as there will be other similar or even worse disasters.

What I am confident in is the willingness and ability of believers called to serve Christ in this manner to respond when and where they are needed. I suspect that the most important reason for the success of the faith based NGO’s like we had little to do with our talents. We can truly than God for his calling together through the power of the Holy Spirit those individuals with the right spiritual gifts, training, and talent for such a response. Also, we witnessed many incidents of supernatural intervention. Unfortunately FEMA does not have similar resources and therefore we take no credit but give all glory to God for what He accomplished through His sovereign will. Please continue to pray for the victims and those who are still volunteer workers in the Katrina zone, and there is still great need for financial support in addition to the labor force requirements.

God bless you all and I pray that you remain safe from disaster.

Dr. Dan Edney

Recently, the “On Call Program” taped an episode of the show while participating in the American Cancer Society’s signature event, “the Relay for Life”. This is a fantastic event that is held around the nation raising much needed funds for cancer research and patient services. I was impressed by the event last year, especially in how family friendly it is. Special attention is given to all ages including games for the kids, food, and entertainment lasting all night. However, the most impressive activity for me as a physician and the son of a cancer casualty was the victory lap for current cancer survivors. Although teams are walking laps all night, the first lap is reserved for those special individuals who have stared cancer in the face and defeated it. What an act of encouragement that is for others as they see the large number of survivors as they may just be starting their own battle with cancer.

The main point being that as the war on cancer continues, it is important for us to realize that great victories are occurring. Modern medicine has developed many innovative treatments that have markedly improved the prognosis for patients with breast cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, various forms of leukemia, and many others. It was only twenty years ago that the diagnosis of most cancers brought with it an eventual death sentence. Now, more than 60% of all cancer patients are alive at five years and that includes those cancers for which we have little hope of curing at present. In fact, were we to back up the calendar and have had this event in 1975 (the era of my father’s cancer), I am certain that the initial victory lap for survivors would have been a small group indeed. However, I am convinced that moving the calendar forward to 2020 will show a much greater group of survivors. Perhaps by that time, the most difficult cancers to cure such as pancreatic and lung cancer will be curable as a matter of course. Perhaps it will be a world where women need not live in fear wondering if they are next to be diagnosed with breast cancer or men no longer expecting prostate cancer to “get them” if they live long enough. This is not a dream but a realistic expectation of future achievements in medical research based on past and current developments.

However, it will not simply happen on it’s own accord. Each one of those cancer survivors walking that victory lap had others walking with them. There were biomedical researchers the world over dedicating their careers to defeating these diseases. There were all the volunteers who work tirelessly raising funds to continue the fight. Most importantly, there were those cancer casualties, like my father, who taught the medical world a great deal as they unsuccessfully fought their disease together. Without their experiences with their battle against cancer, we would know so little and understand even less.

So here is a victory cheer for those wonderful people who may have fallen to cancer, but were never defeated. You have taught us much and in return, we pledge to continue the good fight in your honor. May God’s richest blessing be upon your loved ones.

Dr. Dan Edney

Terrorism is on the minds of every American as we wage the war on terror. National security and vigilance has not been this heightened since World War II, and appropriately so. However, the greatest threat to American lives is not Osama Bin Laden. Ironically, it is a terrorist who has stalked us all since the founding of the Republic, that being heart disease.

Heart disease comes in various forms with the most common types being coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. These two illnesses account for more American deaths than any other cause and just like the terrorist threat, there are effective methods for protecting ourselves and loved ones from their attack. Coronary artery disease (CAD) also known as ischemic heart disease is the cause of “heart attacks”. This is the gradual development of blockages in the arteries feeding blood to the heart muscle. After the blockage has increased to a level where blood flow is impaired, angina or chest pains will develop indicating the heart muscle is not getting enough oxygen. Not uncommonly, these blockages or plaques as physicians refer to them may at anytime rupture causing a blood clot to form at the blockage. This typically causes a sudden and total occlusion of blood flow past the blockage causing a “heart attack” or at least life threatening unstable angina. We now refer to this event as Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). When this occurs, the person’s life is in immediate jeopardy with rapid administration of treatment directed at blood flow restoration being imperative and highly effective.
The symptoms of ACS include usually severe chest pain located in the center of the chest and often radiating into the arms and neck. It typically will be sustained even at rest but made worse with exertion. It can be accompanied by nausea, severe sweating, shortness of breath, and irregular heart beat. Immediate treatment at the nearest Emergency Department is mandatory with these symptoms as untreated it can progress to sudden death or severe disabling heart wall damage. When severe heart damage occurs it may well cause the development of Congestive Heart Failure.
Congestive Heart Failure or Cardiomyopathy can be caused by several factors with ischemic heart disease being very common. This is the disease process that used to be known as the “dropsy”. Other causes include hypertension, valvular heart disease, and congenital heart disease. There is even a form of cardiomyopathy caused by pregnancy. Cardiomyopathy from any cause is the result of a process which weakens the contractile strength of the heart muscle resulting in a weak pump. The common symptoms of congestive heart failure include shortness of breath at rest or with exertion, shortness of breath while trying to sleep flat, and increased fluid retention with leg swelling. The shortness of breath while trying to lie flat is known as orthopnea and is typically relieved by propping up on pillows or it may occur suddenly while sleeping causing the person to sit bolt upright to be able to breathe. This is known as paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea and all of these symptoms indicate that the pumping action of the heart is inadequate causing the “congestion” of congestive heart failure. Although we work aggressively in medicine to prevent CHF from developing, thankfully we have ever improving treatments which are greatly improving quality of life and long-term survival.
However, what is best for everyone is to prevent these diseases from ever developing thereby reducing pain, suffering, incredible expense, disability, and even death. Three basic life style modifiers will eliminate the majority of heart disease. Smoking cessation, exercise, and healthy diets low in fat, sodium, and cholesterol are the mainstay for risk factor modification. We have proven definitively that these steps save lives. Following your blood pressure readings and cholesterol levels with your physician and working aggressively to normalize these readings is also important. They are imperative should you have a strong family history of heart attacks or sudden death, especially if these events occurred in first degree relatives before age fifty.
If we as Americans will be as vigilant against the causative factors for heart disease as we are against terrorism, we can eliminate a great burden on our society. The greatest burden is caused by the suffering and death these issues cause. Not just a burden on the patient, but also the ones who love and care for them and the rest of us who fund the expensive cost of care for heart disease and its complications. No longer can we ignore the threat of terrorism, and when we find the members of the heart disease terror cell, we must “pull the trigger” and save a life.

God bless you and be well,

Dr. Dan Edney

The millennium may still be young, but its first decade is more than half complete. 2006 is bursting on the scene with all of the hope and excitement of every New Year. For some, there is hope for a better year and a better life as 2005 was filled with grief or sickness. For others, 2006 brings with it fear and apprehension due to the strain and worries of life. Such is the way of human existence. So, how can we thrive in the face of challenges brought on by a new year? This commentary will examine these issues and how we can be positive at the onset of a brand new year.

My prayer for you and your family is that 2005 was overall a blessed year for you. Having said this and meaning it, I do feel it is important for us to always realize that despite how great or terrible times may be in our lives, life’s circumstances can always be better or worse. That is why we must refuse to become lazy and ambivalent during times of plenty and also refuse to give up during times of difficulty. It is truly a blessing to be able to look ahead with a new year and imagine the wonderful possibilities that may be just around the corner. It does not matter how hard life has been on you, God’s promises remain true and His faithfulness and love have been proven time and time again. For those of us who trust in Him for all things, we understand the role of trials, sickness, and suffering in our lives as well as the world in general. We also understand that in times of rejoicing or suffering our God is with us and sustaining us.

This emphasizes the role of faith in our lives. Without faith, there is no hope. Without hope, there is no joy. With faith in Christ, there is always hope and joy despite what circumstances we are facing. Jesus taught us that we all would endure times of trials and tribulation and should therefore prepare ourselves for such times. My wife and I recently endured a time of intense trial with a serious health problem in her life. It required an eight-hour delicate operation just before Christmas. Although we had total confidence in her physicians and truly trusted in God during this difficult time, we still had to endure the uncertainty of what 2006 had in store for us. Would it bring rejoicing in her health being restored, would it bring struggles due to serious disability and disfigurement as a result of the surgery, or would it bring grief and loneliness for my children and me should we lose her? Being a physician only made things worse realizing the untold number of things that could go wrong and knowing I could do nothing except to pray, love, and serve her. However, when I realized that these were the best things I could do for her and that my actions and attitudes carried with them great power, my spirit was calmed. I was then able to see that whatever we as a family would face in 2006 we would not face them alone. Our God, our church, our friends, and our family would and did stand with us.

Thankfully and with much praise to God and rejoicing, we are beginning 2006 having been blessed with the best of all outcomes with my wife’s surgery. Her health is being restored and we have learned much and are stronger spiritually than we were one year ago. At the beginning of 2005, we had no inkling of the trials that lay before us, but we had faith in our Savior and hope in tomorrow. Once again, God has proven to us that our faith is not misplaced and we are encouraged to continue having hope for the future.

Therefore, whatever blessing you are enjoying or trial you are facing, I ask you to place your trust in the One who controls tomorrow, every tomorrow in 2006. By doing so, you can follow the admonition of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians when he instructs us to stand and when we have done all that we can do then continue to stand firm, and in the immortal words of Sir Winston Churchill, “Never give up. Never, never, never, never give up.” That includes never giving up hope in 2006.

God bless you all.

Dr. Dan Edney