Free Republic

A friend was visiting that I only see on occasion. After talking about our common interests, he told me he was currently splitting his time between where he lived and where he grew up. That was because his 90-year-old father needed to have a family member nearby. After commending him for doing the right thing in taking care of his aging parent, I asked whether he had any siblings who could help. He stated he had one who was no longer in communication with him or his father. His answer as to why was because his father and the sibling...

In Genesis 2:18, God says, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." Thus, he creates the woman, making mankind male and female. Whether one takes the story of Genesis literally, as I do, or as a metaphor, the essential point is clear and objectively true. Mankind is a relational being and requires community and companionship. The actions of the individual affect the community. The point was made clear in 1624 when John Donne wrote his Meditation XVII and the line "no man is an island" flowed from his...

December, a time for choral concerts, band performances, orchestra recitals, cocktail parties, holiday markets, family gatherings and final exams. Almost everyone is overbooked and overworked, exhausted and running on empty. Busy schedules lead to being away from home one night after the other, to the detriment of family dinners, early bedtimes and balanced meals. The temptations of food and drink are too enticing to ignore. Rich food, sweet succulent desserts and holiday cocktails tantalize our taste buds and lead us into temptation and indulgence -- and then to nights of unsound sleep. In my case, I often awaken the next...

Editor's note: this piece was coauthored by Hagelin's daughter, Kristin Carey.God “gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike” (Matthew 5:45). Every one of us has been blessed by God, but so few of us recognize His hand on our lives. And those of us who do recognize His providence so rarely take the time to express our gratitude. All too often our thanks is missing. The Bible tells the story of a time when Jesus healed ten men from leprosy at a time. “One of them,...

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. A chance to be grateful instead of focusing on gift-giving and gift-receiving. Family, friends, bountiful feasts and football are at the forefront of our minds rather than cocktail parties and gifts. Think of it as a time to pause and give thanks before the whirlwind of December. Thanksgiving began in 1621. The pilgrims invited the Wampanoag Native Americans to join them in celebration of the fall harvest. The Native Americans traveled for several days, created their own camp and stayed with the pilgrims for three days of feasting and celebration. This first Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. A day of family gatherings, feasting, football and the last respite before the start of the Christmas shopping season. The focus is on spending time together rather than giving gifts and attending cocktail parties. Thanksgiving began in 1621, when the Pilgrims invited the Wampanoag Indians to join them in celebration of the fall harvest. The Indians traveled for several days, created their own camp, and stayed with the Pilgrims for three days of feasting and celebration. This first Thanksgiving sounds similar to our tradition of family members invading a relative's home and...

It's been a strange week. My sister and I passed the coursework and pool portion for open-water scuba diving, my son turned 12, and my mother ended up in ICU. You can plan as much as you like, but oftentimes life happens -- and not as you might have planned. The rhythmic sound of the ventilator is comforting rather than frightening, as I had thought it would be. Its steady pace, much faster than my normal breathing rate, is soothing, possibly reminiscent of the maternal heartbeat that I heard in utero. As it works to fill my mother's lungs with...

This holiday season, while we enjoy delicious food and visiting family and friends, let's take a moment to give thanks for our many blessings. It's easy to get lost in all the bad news today -- whether it be unfavorable election results, financial troubles, a struggling economy, an overreaching federal government, crisis in the Middle East or personal struggles. Our growing list of problems often seems overwhelming and endless. It's easy to give thanks when everything is going our way. But what about the difficult times? The Bible, in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, commands us, "In everything give thanks; for...

A letter to President Bush from Women for a Free Iraq:February 27, 2003 Dear President Bush: As women from Iraq who fled our homeland to escape persecution by Saddam Hussein’s regime, we write to offer our support for your principled leadership. We applaud your determination to disarm Saddam and your commitment to help liberate the people of Iraq. We are daughters, mothers, wives, and sisters whose families and communities have suffered for too long. We stand with you because only the United States and its allies can help the people of Iraq break free from Saddam’s 34 years of brutal...