I spent some time yesterday with a local woman who donated a kidney to a man who was basically a stranger.
She said she knows it sounds weird, but she felt that God was telling her to do it.
I'm writing an article for Saturday's religion page about this act of charity, and I found Margie, the woman who gave up a kidney, to be a fascinating and inspiring person.
No one except Margie knows whether God was actually telling her to do it, and even she can't say for certain. But she felt like it's what God wanted her to do, and she did it, and she said she was on a "euphoric high" for six weeks afterward.
God calls people to do different things, and he speaks in different ways. And we listen in different ways. And sometimes we don't listen, or don't have confidence that we know God's voice -- whether it's the "still, small voice" in our heart, or a booming voice thundering down from heaven.
But look at "the fruits," as Apostle Paul wrote about in his letter to Corinth. Margie's decision to give up one of her kidneys has helped a man in California with two young children live a normal life.
And she has had no negative after-effects. After much research, she said she found that each of the 2 healthy kidneys in a person works at 50 percent capacity. Her doctor told her that "God has given you more than you need."
I learned yesterday that an organ donated from a living person has a much greater chance of success in a transplant. A kidney from a living person could last 25 years, compared to 10 years from a cadaver.
I know a lot of people who wonder what God's will is for their lives. Other people can give advice and encouragement, but only the individual who is searching can know for certain when God is speaking to them.
Visit www.toledoblade.com/religion this Saturday to read up on Margie and her kidney donation.
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How much do you love your dog? I mean, dollar-wise?
My brother-in-law Ed in California has a 7-year-old boxer named Dempsey that he obviously loves a lot. Dempsey was hit by a car a few years ago and Ed spent thousands on surgery.
Now Dempsey has developed problems with his hips and legs, possibly related to the pervious accident and surgery. Ed took him in for an MRI and it cost him $1,100. The vet wants to do surgery that will cost $3,000.
Ed is not a Hollywood millionaire. This is serious money to him. But he's going to go ahead with the surgery.
Would you?
I love my dog but I don't know how much money I would be willing to spend on surgery for a pet. I'm glad I don't have to make that decision.
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I watched a History Channel program last night on the Asian tsunami of December 2004. The destruction -- 200,000 lives lost, billions in physical damages -- from those waves and floods is almost beyond belief.
The way it struck was astonishing. A bright sunny morning. No sign of a storm or danger. The only clue was that the water receded swiftly and drastically from the beach. Had I been in Thailand or Sri Lanka at the time, I would not have realized what that could mean. Today, however, I know better. Another thing that I learned is that tsunamis often come in a series of waves. In some areas, the people survived the first wave and went back to the beaches to inspect the damage. Thirty minutes later, a second and more severe wave hit.
The amateur videos of the flooding shown on TV was chilling.
This type of natural disaster may never happen again in our lifetimes. Or it could happen tomorrow.
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I'm still working on my speech for Feb. 7. I've got my powerpoint slide show all set to go. My speech is outlined. I am very much looking forward to the evening.

Toledo, Ohio
Jan. 30, 2008