Los Angeles Lakers’ Metta World Peace, as the former Ron Artest likes to be called, once again demonstrates man’s inability to change himself let alone change the world he lives in through self-improvement.

Metta World Peace didn’t bring peace but conflict to the world and to the basketball court when he threw the proverbial, and literal, elbow at the head of James Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

This shouldn’t be news to anybody who has spent more than a few years of life on the earth watching one flash-in-the-pan celebrity after another or most “television evangelists” who preach “another Jesus.”

As the Bible confirms, man cannot change himself. Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Metta World peace can only be changed from the inside out and that change only comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit.

We were home for Christmas this year. And I mean home,     alone. We had the stomach virus hit our family like a ton of bricks. We had to cancel any family gatherings we had planned for the protection of all others. And although we did our best to limit contact, only two of nine escaped.

Finally, five days later, it appears that no one will die. Although for a couple of days we were really not sure. But now the presents are opened and we had a good time actually, although it was the immediate family by themselves.

I have patients that would have called this epidemic the flu. In the medical field, the “flu” actually refers to the annual viral influenza that is a respiratory infection causing lots of cough, muscle aches, and general malaise.

If you want to read an excellent book, read The Great Influenza of 1918 by John M. Barry. It covers the influenza where approximately one third of the world’s population died. ONE THIRD! Can you imagine that?

Our family hopes your family had a wonderful Christmas too, remembering Him who came to save the world by not only being born a baby in the manger, but growing up to be a man who would die for the sins of the world.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only son that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

In Psalm 139:14, David gives praise to our God because “…I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

I remember appreciating this Psalm particularly when I was in medical school and had the privilege of studying the human body and the amazing engineering that God used to design the cardiac, pulmonary, reproductive, and other organ systems. And amazingly more, was how these systems are designed to adapt to disease and stress.

I was reminded of this again recently when I had a young patient come to my office after having stepped on a sewing needle while running around barefoot at home. Been there, done that. Unfortunately, a piece of the needle had broken off and lay embedded deep, somewhere  in the bottom of her foot.

Under duress, I did some exploring but encouraged the parents to be patient instead. The body’s immune system is designed to rid the body of foreign matter. I prescribed an antibiotic to help rid off any horrible infection but recommended soaking the foot in hot water with Epsom salts.

Three days later, the parents and patient returned. There was some pus present but no sign of the needle yet. They were discouraged, I was encouraged. But, they insisted on a surgical consult so I obliged. Surgery was scheduled for three days later. I suggested continuing the soaking plan as prescribed earlier.

Guess what happened one day later and before a surgeon had the opportunity to interfere. The body pushed the needle out just as I had predicted. Praise the Lord!

If you only knew how many times a day your body’s immune system warded off diseases like polio, diphtheria, tuberculosis, and other devastating diseases, you would never get to sleep. As with David, I agree. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Some of you may have seen me on television last week. I was asked to give a comment concerning the state of Washington issuing monies to help encourage preventative-care in medicine. More on that subject sometime in the future. I was a bit surprised when the cameraman/reporter asked me if I was really going to wear the sportcoat and tie I was donning that day while seeing patients.

Of course I was, I responded. I believe that how you dress means alot, not only in your own presentation but how you are received, as well. Apparently, most people now days disagree. Just go to the store or even a restaurant and watch how many people are still dressed in their pajamas.

I go to a church where they almost boastfully refuse to dress up. It bothers me very little because I recognize that this is a non-essential matter when it comes to holy things. But when I read how God expected the priests to dress as they served Him in the tabernacle, I can’t help but feel that maybe God knows something more about man than we do.

Isaiah 55:8-9 Tells us that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. In Exodus 28:2 He clearly tells Aaron that he is not to wear pajama bottoms to serve the LORD. Although I am sure different clothes would have seemed more convenient, Aaron and his sons weren’t given a choice.

One Biblical commentator (whom I respect very much) states that the purpose of this was two-fold. One purpose was to remind the priest of the dignity of his office. Another reason was to remind the people of the Holy reverence they should have for the God the priest was serving. Interesting. Is this why the clergy used to (and still do in some denominations) wear robes?

How many of us would invest our monies with someone who is dressed like a bum? We would probably go instead to someone who looks smart and dresses as if they were successful, even if they are not.

I have earned my degree in medicine and I believe that most of my patients appreciate my efforts to look the part of a professional. I refuse to go to work looking like I am still the farmworker I used to be. Sorry camera-man.

You need to be. Most of the hot-water tanks are not putting out water hot enough to really do any good. In an effort to save the planet and to protect children from scalding themselves, people who establish these regulations have the hot-water tanks set too low.

Only HOT water will kill the pathogens that cause disease. I tell my patients that if they can’t burn themselves at the sink, then the water tank needs to be adjusted.

You can remedy this by going to your tank, opening the little hatch, and turning the dial from warm or low to high or hot. That was easy.

Now, when you use the dishwasher, pathogens like Salmonella will die. When you wash the bedding, bed bugs and dust mites will die. Of course, you have to be in control of your children so that they don’t get burned.

Teach them that the faucet is a “not to be played with” item. A firm “NO!” will help and a sharp slap on the hand for disobedience may be necessary to complete the process.