By JIM NICHOLS In 1786 poet Robert Burns penned a line that is memorable. Paraphrased, it suggested it would be a great gift from God if we could see ourselves as others see us. I am speaking to myself now as well as readers. The two types of glass with which we are most familiar are windows and mirrors. Through

By JIM NICHOLS At the conclusion of a visit to a hospice patient, the outside caregiver must complete an electronic questionnaire regarding the impressions from the visit. This is a requirement of the hospice providing company as well as Medicare, the entity often paying for the service. Since there are generally three different types of service provided, there are three

By JIM NICHOLS It has happened so many times now that I have stopped thinking it is unusual. I will see or hear one snippet and, suddenly, a flood of other memories arises and stacks on top. One of my favorite parts of the local newspaper is a section “Today in History.” Here appears a short list of notable events

By JIM NICHOLS One of the most common delusions for you and me is to be blind to our own presuppositions or biases. Many have defined such assumptions as a worldview. This can be manifested on both personal and national levels. As an historical example, the New England Native American population in 1600, being a nomadic group, had a much

By JIM NICHOLS When I was a boy, one of my sets of grandparents had a large front porch. The whole house seemed to be made of rock and concrete and the porch was similarly constructed. There was a black wooden swing suspended from the ceiling and both children and adults could sit together. There were also other assorted chairs,

By JIM NICHOLS Perhaps you feel as I do that sounds during the night seem different than the same sounds in the daytime. The blowing wind is more noticeable, the living room clock strikes more clearly, car and truck traffic usually drowned out by other noise now comes to the surface.  It is not exactly an inner-city hospital, but it

By JIM NICHOLS She looked like a regular university student, but she was carrying a background that made her unique and, to me, especially positive. She was a “missionary kid” and had spent most of her life in a country and lifestyle much different from mine. She told me that it had taken her several months after arriving back in

By JIM NICHOLS If one tends toward a somewhat cynical view, transitions in life do not seem so significant as they do to others. Graduations, proms, weddings, and even funerals can be described as simply human concoctions that are trivial in their true importance. There is work to be done, decisions to be made, and thoughts to be considered—let us

By JIM NICHOLS Perhaps you have heard the joke about the man who went for a walk. During the walk, he saw a woman talking to her dog. When he got home, the man told his cat about it and they both had a good laugh. The relationship between humans and animals is an eternal and fascinating one. The Bible