I am currently sitting in the Sacred Grounds Coffee shop in Ruidoso, New Mexico being absolutely spoiled by it’s owner. She just walked over personally and put a fresh out of the oven to-die-for cookie on my table and refilled my drink.  I’ve been sitting here working this morning enjoying a warm and friendly environment. If you are ever in Ruidoso and want a fabulous cup of coffee or great food, please drop by the Sacred Grounds. It is a local business that deserves the support of patrons for going above and beyond. As I have watched this morning, it seems like most of the patrons are local, so maybe visitors don’t know yet to seek this gem of a business out. It is worth your time. Sacred Grounds is on the west end of Sudderth. If I’m in Ruidoso, you will find me here most mornings!

In an edition of Time Magazine, Catherine Mayer coined the term “amortality” to describe a resistance to the onset of aging created by the intersection of “a massive increase in life expectancy and deep decline in organized religion.” Mayer goes on to describe amortality as living at the same pace from late teens right up to death. Recognizing that we live in an age when amortality is a goal of many and a lifestyle of most, I have even greater appreciation for the life and death Judy Organ chose every step of the way.

During the last week, I’ve had considerable time to think about Judy’s decisions about how and when she would leave her mortal body. Judy recognized that she was mortal and that a part of her mortality was the inevitable decline of her body. When Judy’s attending physician presented her with the idea of extending her life via the use of a ventilator or a tracheotomy, she and her family ask lots of questions about what the outcome of either procedure would be. Judy and her family realized that the use of a ventilator or a tracheotomy would at best extend her life a few months, but provide no hope of a cure or an improvement in her quality of life. Judy made a decision that surprised her physician. She opted not to pursue either procedure. Instead she choose to meet God sooner rather than later.

You see Judy’s life was a testament to mortality and what happens when there is an intersection of the expectation of death and a deep faith in an eternal God. When the hospice representative came to see Judy, she asked that her breathing machine be removed so she could speak. Judy lifted her head and emphatically stated, “I am of sound mind. I do not want a vent or a trach. I want hospice.”

Judy was of sound mind. She choose eternal life and a new body instead of prolonged pain and suffering.

Perhaps Judy’s decisions don’t make sense to a world that values “amortality,” but her decisions made perfect sense to me.

I value mortality and eternal life.

Judy, thanks for teaching me about how to live and how to die.

Parents frequently have difficulty addressing sexual safety with their children. God Made Me provides an easy way for parents to teach their children how to avoid being a victim of sexual abuse.

The coloring book is designed for parents to read to their children several times while their children color the pages. Each time the child begins to color in the God Made Me, parents have an opportunity to read the entire coloring book to their children and emphasize sexual safety in a non-threatening way.

$3.99

This is the actual printed copy of the book.
If you would like a downloadable PDF of the book you may purchase that here.