Monday, December 10, 2018

Arise, Shine...


“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.” –Isaiah 60:1

I can’t help but think of how this verse applies to each Christian’s moment of conversion – made possible by the arrival of the Messiah foretold in the book of Isaiah.  But I’m seeing this morning that I do not currently “arise and shine” in some places – and definitely not at my church.  I’ve hidden behind my vow of “striving for the purity and peace of the church” and bottled up my sadness, pain, and loneliness for the past 16 or so years.  The relationships that I began to form were interrupted by those friends moving away, so I’ve been allowed to hide in plain sight – sharing some of my gifts, but never myself in this place that is supposed to be my family.

The most recent hurt came around 14 years ago.  I had been leading Bible studies both in weekly and monthly formats for the women in our church.  I loved studying and teaching God’s word.  In the midst of this time, a group of older ladies in the church decided that our weekly Bible study should be revamped into a new format.  They did involve the current leaders in their plans but told me they didn’t need me to teach the first year.  In the second year, they lacked Bible teachers and when I said I would teach, I was told ‘No – you are too young’.  Honestly, this is a super-simplified version of the story- I could type a lot about how my calling, my gifts, and my competence were questioned by older women who hid behind the commands in Titus 2 to get their way about the Bible Study.  In the one instance where these tactics of the older women were questioned, nothing really happened.  None of the outcomes were changed.  I wasn’t allowed to teach, and I ended up leaving the leadership group.  And I became convinced that this situation was connected to an older hurt I’d experienced a few years prior.

That greater wound came around 17 years ago.  While expecting my 1st child, I started serving as a Nursery director.  This was a great fit for a new stay-at-home mom who loved organizing and planning.  The church Nursery experienced unbelievable growth during this time – for 2 years, we had almost 20 babies (under 6 months old) in the youngest group.  When we pair trying to make changes to accommodate growth with personally being pregnant for 2 years/ having 2 little babies, it was a recipe for disaster.  It was worse when you consider my husband was working 70+ hour weeks and I had no family support to help me.  I really don’t remember the specifics – I remember trying to hold it all together, being frustrated with the lack of cooperation, and literally just trying to survive each day (mentally, mainly).  But it started crashing down when men in church leadership came to me to say that I was not being gracious to others and that I needed to step aside from my Nursery role (which I did).  I became paranoid because I didn’t know who I had offended.  I couldn’t trust anyone at church because they seemed nice, but what if they were one of the people who had complained.  I wanted to apologize but no one would tell me who I should apologize to.  So I continued raising 2 babies with a husband who worked all the time and tried to fit in with the other moms, even though my heart and soul were a gaping, bleeding wound that was ripped open every week that I stepped my foot into the church building.

Ultimately, God used the more recent situation for His good and made sure that I knew it.  He opened a door of opportunity for me to teach Biology at a local university.  He then provided 6 women – all older than me – as my first class.  He has kept me in that place – teaching hundreds of older and younger students over the past 13 years. 

But I’ve never really come to terms with the 1st wound.  I still am paranoid – I still can’t open myself – I still avoid a lot of church events because…  well, its just awful. 

My advent devotional encouraged me to write out my testimony this morning and share with another believer.  After I recounted the fact that I joined the church at age 12, my writing went to what you see above.  And you may be wondering – “how in the world is this supposed to encourage anyone?”   If you have been a part of a church for more than 5 minutes, you have likely experienced some kind of hurt.  I pray it is not as deep and persistent as my own, but maybe its even worse.  In any case, I’d like to encourage you with 2 things.

First, I’m becoming convinced that “striving for purity and peace” in the church does not mean that I always must quietly endure whatever is thrown my way.  Sin within the church should be confronted – like the misuse of Scripture to beat up a struggling, overwhelmed young mom who tried to offer her gifts – as this promotes purity in the church.  And ‘peace’ speaks of harmony – not just the absence of outward conflict.  This is what we should be striving for in our individual and corporate relationships.

Second, and more importantly, don’t let the hurts of the past deprive you of “letting your light shine.”  God still has a purpose and place for you in His Kingdom.  I know it’s scary, and I am still trying to figure out what that is supposed to look like in my own life.  But as I walk through this season of Advent, full of expectation, I want to see how God might use even these old hurts for His glory and my good.  I hope this might encourage you to do the same.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Prayer Letter 1 - August 10

I've been feeling a bit panicked about the start of school.  Being a homeschooling mom with a full time job means that days are VERY full.  Over the past 3 years, I have seen that I don't deal well with being hyper-scheduled and these 2 jobs require it.  But it seems more than that.  I have come to see that my main struggle centers around 1 kid.  This kid was diagnosed with ADHD last year and really hates school.  He is very intelligent but he doesn't believe it. He is also very determined to do what HE wants.  So, I am asking you to pray for both me and this child, and hope that you gain some insight into what it means to parent and homeschool this particular child with ADHD.

1.  Pray that my husband and I would have insight into how to help him.  Keeping him on track - day by day, week by week - is a never ending puzzle of what works (today, because it is always changing) and what doesn't.  I can't tell someone 'what are you going to do to help him' because, I don't know!  I try something and if that doesn't work, I try something else.

2. Pray that I will ignore the judgmental and grace-less comments and looks I receive because of my child's school performance.  Do you have any idea what mighty work of sanctification God is doing in my life (a high school valedictorian who graduated with Honors from college and graduate school) to know that my child is okay with a C grade or that turning in his assignment is not a big deal?  I have come to the place where I know in my HEAD that all I can do is give assistance, ask to see work, put structure in place that gives him his best chance.  I cannot (and will not) write his papers for him, re-do his assignments, or coach him through each problem or question when he has decided not to give effort.  Unfortunately, he lives with the consequences of his bad choices - if he fails a class, he will be in summer school (like we did this year - so more work for me) or he might not be eligible to play the sports he enjoys.

3.  Pray that God would do a work in this child's heart.  He is struggling with a lot of frustration right now.  He is struggling with confidence in his own ability.

4.  Pray that we would be able to meet the needs of this child.  He needs to learn to manage his own time and work better.  When that doesn't happen, he needs appropriate consequences, which is sometimes that he is not permitted to participate in certain activities with friends.  This child is an extrovert and isolation makes him more angry and frustrated, which does not help him focus on his work.  So you see that we are in a quandary.  We need lots of prayer for wisdom.

5.  Pray that I would have some outlet - friend? - that I can share my struggles and frustrations with.  I have encountered a couple of people who see this situation, and have offered grace and compassion and understanding.  But these people are far and few between and I don't run into them on a regular basis.

6.  Pray that we would find classes where both he and our family are supported.  We thought we had his classes settled, but new requests (that seem to make additional demands of me rather than my student) from a coop administration are turning us a different direction.  Pray also that we would know when additional tutors might be helpful and that we would be able to locate them at the right time.

Your prayers are needed.  I am weak and a bit weary and the school year has not yet started!  Thanks for reading and I appreciate your partnership through prayer.

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Livin' on a Prayer

I've been convicted lately about a lot of things.  A big one has been my lack of connection to the local expression of the body of Christ even though I have been a member there for almost 19 years. I attend Sunday School and church every Sunday, am a member of a small group, and serve in our music ministry, but I am not really connected.  I can walk into the building and be there for almost 3 hours without a single person seeming to realize that I am there.  Sometimes this is a blessing because when I do interact, I say the wrong thing or I share something hard and things go very wrong.

As we are approaching the beginning of a new academic year, I have mixed emotions.  I am excited to see my students again.  I am looking forward to the classes I will be teaching. I am overwhelmed by the thought of another year of working full time and homeschooling 3 kids.  I am fearful that my kids will struggle and I won't have the ability to help them - possibly due to being overwhelmed or overworked.  I am struggling with the thought of adding ONE MORE thing to my plate when I think about starting a PhD program.  I feel frustrated and lonely when I consider the time all of these things require and know that most of my waking hours have already been claimed.

I feel very strongly that God has called me to minister at SWU.  I teach students how to view biology and science as a Christian, while also encouraging them to be excellent in their work so they may be lights in their field and instruments useful to God.  I strive to befriend and mentor students - some who need a listening ear, others who have never observed how a Christian family functions, and more who need guidance on classes or careers.

I feel very strongly that God has given me 3 children and the best place for them to be educated (for a variety of reasons) is through homeschooling.  In the past 3 years I have experienced first hand how difficult and draining it is to teach your children.  In the past year, we have added a ADHD diagnosis and the fun dynamics of the relationship between parents and teenagers.  I have discovered of the 3 tasks needed to successfully homeschool - lesson planning/ teaching, grading, and record keeping - I can accomplish only 2 of these at the same time.

We are currently praying about the opportunity for me to begin (again) work on my PhD starting in January.  The doors seem to be opening and aligning for this to be a possibility and other things have occurred which make this move seem wise.

So where does this leave me?  I believe that many of the emotions expressed in the second paragraph are directly related to the lack of connection mentioned in the first paragraph.  I truly believe that God has called us all to specific work in his kingdom, and that this is not restricted to those who are employed in "full-time Christian ministry" roles of pastors or missionaries.  If I am doing the tasks and work above for the Lord and He has called me to that work, I am involved in full time Christian ministry.

My life has involved these different roles and responsibilities for the past 3 years and it has been hard.  I probably haven't shared this with a lot of people because I fear the judgement and negative comments the have followed when I am most needy.  But I need the support and encouragement of the body of Christ.  I need prayers lifted on my behalf as I do the work God has called me to do.  Tonight I have found both the courage and the words to place these before you and pray that God will use it for my good.  So consider this my Prayer Letter.  Will you join my ministry to both my children and my college students by praying?

Sunday, September 27, 2015

God is Great, Sweet Tea is Good, and People are Crazy

The words came out of my mouth today, and I wish I could amend them – “It has been a bad week.”  For background, let me summarize the events.

On Wednesday, I listened to, cried with, and prayed for a student in my office about 2 unrelated situations that had both scared her and pricked her heart.  I hope sharing with me lessened her burden.
 
On Thursday, I started the day with the homeschool version of a parent- school administrator conference.  When I got to work, I had students share a concern about the way another classmate was speaking to them.  This may not seem big, but seemed to be bordering on bullying.  I told them I would pray about it and let them know what the next step should be.  The day kept getting more interesting when I ended up helping make the decision that we needed to call 911 to take a student to the ER.

On Friday, I learned that the child who had been discussed and defended at the conference on Thursday had completely made a liar of me.  That night, my husband and I made a decision to go down a path with this kid that we have decided against for many years.  This is scary on a lot of levels – and maybe someday I will be ready to articulate that.

On Saturday, I was unable to block some negative or less-than-supportive comments from other parents about my youngest child’s football team and their coaches (who include my husband).  This led to me expressing my displeasure – although I think I was not rude or inappropriate – and I am a bit embarrassed that I couldn’t just ignore the negativity.

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon when my beloved alma mater, the University of Tennessee, played one of my 2 least favorite teams, the University of Florida.  I have been confident that we would win this game – breaking the streak, moving down the path to an SEC East title, returning to national importance.  We celebrated the excitement of the game and then showed that our team has basically forgotten how to win – we play just good enough to lose.

All I could think was, “After the week I have had, why couldn't ONE good thing have happened?  Winning this game would have made the week so much better!”  I saw the various posts of Facebook friends discussing the game – supporting either of the teams.  I was greatly annoyed.

And then it hit me – why would a GAME between people I have NEVER MET have made anything from the previous 3 days any better?  Does a Tennessee win mend the breaking heart of my student, improve the health of another student, resolve the relationship issues of other students, ‘fix’ the academic issues of my child?  Of course not! But that was where my heart and mind looked for ‘relief’ from the heart ache of my week.

We are living in a Brave New World – where pain is medicated by food and sports and trivial things.  Where everything is supposed to be easy or you are doing it wrong or shouldn’t do it at all.  Where real life – which is hard – is BAD.

No – I want to go back.  My week was HARD, but it was GOOD.  I was given the privilege of sharing the burden of multiple students, of helping to make hard choices with other students, of observing real community between many of the young people I interact with on a daily basis, of celebrating milestones with my children, of getting to have new and hard discussions with my husband about how we parent our children.

So that’s what I wish I had said this morning – “My week has been hard, but good.”  May we all come out of the Brave New World and be real again – sharing our joys and sorrows without shirking away from the real life we have been given.


PS – If you have not read the book, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, you really should check it out from your library or buy it from your favorite book source.  I believe it is a shame that I only just read this book over the summer.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

You May Be Right, I May Be Crazy


Social media has again got my head spinning and my frustration aroused.  Here are a couple of thoughts on this icy February morning:

1.       Why do we think that if someone is wrong about something, they are wrong about everything?  Today I have seen again comments pointing out that Martin Luther and John Calvin did not accept heliocentric theory (the idea that the Earth and other planets orbit around the sun).  I could give more examples of people of the past who had great contributions to human knowledge, but seem to have a glaring blind-spot in some area of their thinking.  Are there things that if you are wrong about disqualifies everything else you have ever said?  Apparently so in our culture.  However, there has never been a person who was right about everything.  Never.  Einstein and Darwin and Galileo and Lincoln (to name a few) are currently held in a place of esteem in history.  Maybe because they got a lot of things right (or maybe the scientific process hasn't shown them to be wrong - yet) that society currently values, but it certainly doesn’t mean that they are immune to errors in their thinking. 

2.       Why are we so arrogant to believe that we are right about everything?  All of humanity believes that they are right in the way they think.  It was true in the past and still true today.  We don’t see our own blind-spots – this is probably why they are called ‘blind-spots”.  We are steeped in our own culture and it is often easy to see the mistakes of others, especially those who found themselves in another culture and time.  “How could anyone possibly believe that the Earth was the center of the solar system?” we ask, and millions of other similar questions.  We believe we are so enlightened, so smart, so beyond our forefathers. 

Again, when in the history of mankind has anyone been right about everything?  And why do WE think we will be any different?  It is true that we continue to make new discoveries about things that we have previously not understood, but we also find evidence that points to new theories and conclusions. Rather than be grateful for the shoulders we stand on, we scoff and ridicule. How do we forget that Luther and Calvin and all were human beings like you and me?

We all hope to make a mark on this world – to leave a meaningful contribution to human knowledge or well-being.  Do you long for the good works God prepared and allowed for you to do to be torn down and trampled because our offspring realize that – gasp – you were a fallen human being who made mistakes in other areas of life and thought?  We are human – just like Luther and Calvin and Darwin and Einstein.  Can we extend to these the same grace that we wish to receive from others – both now and in the distant future?  Can we learn from the brilliance and mistakes of these and others who have gone before us?  This approach would be a welcome change and a vast improvement.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Who to Believe - Hobby Lobby, FDA, Someone Else???


Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard many voices expressing opinions about the recent Supreme Court decision allowing Hobby Lobby to not cover 4 contraceptives of the 20 required under the Affordable Care Act.  I’m a reproductive physiologist by training and did my Master’s thesis research on estrous cycle synchronization.  Amazingly, I chose this path because there is little else in the world that is more interesting and cool to me than hormonal control of reproduction. 

It seems there is a lot of information being thrown around without citation, so how do you know what is REALLY going on?  Hobby Lobby objects to 4 contraceptives – Ella, Plan-B, Mirena (hormonal IUD), and Paragard (copper IUD) – on the basis that they may end a human life.  However, there are many voices that are claiming this is not the case.  The below quote is one such voice.

“Well, you might ask, based upon some of the charges being made, aren't the contraceptive methods being funded through the Affordable Care Act, abortifacients? Not if you believe medical science.  In the words of Jeffrey F. Peipert, M.D., Ph.D., the Robert J. Terry Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine, "these contraceptive methods work by preventing pregnancy (fertilization) from occurring in the first place. For instance, the intrauterine device works primarily by preventing fertilization. Plan B (or the progestin-containing, morning-after pill), along with Ella (ulipristal acetate), delay the release of a woman's egg from her ovary. The egg does not get fertilized, which means the woman does not become pregnant."” (Blog 2)
There are really 2 questions at play in this discussion.  First, how do you define ‘pregnancy’ and second, do the 4 contraceptives in question have the potential to prevent normal development of a zygote/ fertilized egg.

Most people think the first question I have presented is pretty straightforward.  However, ‘pregnancy’ is not the same as ‘fertilization’.  If you can think back to previous biology courses, ‘fertilization’ is the moment when the egg and sperm fuse and form a new diploid cell.  This occurs in the oviduct/ Fallopian tube of the mother.  It is days before the embryo reaches the uterus where it will implant for nourishment for the next 8-ish months.  For many, a substance is not an abortifacient unless it terminates a pregnancy.  Therefore, a substance does not end a pregnancy if it only prevents the embryo from implanting in the uterus.  For additional information about the definition of pregnancy, you should view the following website -  http://thefederalist.com/2014/05/19/the-washington-post-is-super-confused-about-where-babies-come-from/

As one who holds to the view that human life begins at the moment of fertilization, it is important to continue to answer the second question I have posed above – do any of the 4 contraceptives in question have the potential to prevent normal development of a zygote/ fertilized egg.  Might these substances have the ability to prevent an embryo from implanting in the wall of the mother’s uterus?

As a scientist, I answer these questions by viewing journal articles in the primary literature.  Here is a summary of the information I have located by doing such a search in the past week.

ELLA
“The principal effect of ulipristal acetate is to inhibit or delay ovulation, but the mechanism by which this occurs has not be fully clarified….Results of animal studies suggest that ulipristal acetate may have a direct inhibitory effect on follicular rupture.” (McKeage & Croxtall 2011)  This same review article also mentions a minimal effect on the endometrium and an alteration of ‘progesterone-dependent markers of implantation’ within the endometrial epithelium.

MIRENA
“Intrauterine devices (IUD) exert contraceptive action by interfering with sperm transport, ovum development, fertilization, and implantation.” (Mandelin et al. 1997)
I did another search for the mechanism of action of Mirena several years ago and found no studies that showed a post-fertilization effect.  Most studies concluded the main mechanism of action was to interfere with fertilization for both the sperm and ova.  Sperm are not able to fertilize an egg until that are ‘capacitated’ (this process is beyond the scope of this blog) – Mirena’s action prevented this process from occurring.  It also showed an action of ‘zona blocking’ – making the outer covering of the zygote impenetrable to sperm – again, no fertilization.  Unfortunately, I was unable to locate these studies in my search of the literature.  I am guessing this was due to having access to different journal databases.

PARAGARD
“The copper IUD is nonhormonal and continuously releases copper into the intrauterine cavity.  It prevents pregnancy by interfering with fertilization and preventing implantation.” (Bosworth et al. 2014)  “The modern banded copper IUDs are highly effective. The copper IUD acts primarily by preventing fertilisation, the copper ion being toxic to the sperm. Implantation is also impeded, enabling the device to be effective when used for post-coital contraception (Standford and Mikolajczyk 2002, Bhathena & Guillebaud 2008).

PLAN-B
“Levonorgestrel (LNG) works in several different mechanisms depending on the cycle day of unprotected intercourse and the day on which the treatment is started. LNG may inhibit the process of ovulation, fertilization or implantation. However, there is no direct clinical indication that supports these mechanisms. Emergency contraception is effective only before a fertilized egg is implanted because it can’t disrupt an existing pregnancy, i.e., emergency contraceptives are not abortifacient.” (Shohel et al. 2014)

“Kahlenborn and colleagues, in their 2002 publication, summarize early studies regarding the post-fertilization effects of EC (emergency contraception) agents. Based on a combination of theoretical and empirical arguments, the authors argue that the efficacy of EC agents cannot be explained by ovulatory inhibition or the inhibition of sperm transport alone. Thus, they surmise that endometrial effects must also be present.  This position is bolstered by the FDA-approved labeling of Plan B One-Step: “Plan B One-Step works primarily by: preventing ovulation, possibly preventing fertilization by altering tubal transport of sperm and/or egg, [or] altering the endometrium, which may inhibit implantation. Plan B One-Step is not effective once the process of implantation has begun”. It is worth noting that the FDA-approved labeling of Plan B One-Step may allow for the possibility of a post-fertilization effect, even in the absence of supportive data. Computer models intended to clarify the mechanism of action have fallen short, always confirming the effect of ovulatory inhibition, but failing to rule out the possibility of a post-fertilization effect.” (Lewis & Sullivan 2012)

”For the past two decades the scientific community seems to have been burdened with the impetus to prove, in contrast with the typical protocol by which the mechanism of action for a drug is determined, the manner by which a drug doesn’t act by proving “beyond a shadow of a doubt” the manner by which it does act. The authors of this manuscript would be foolish to believe that such a shadow will ever be completely removed from the inquiry at hand, at least until such a time as we have access to a test that might identify the moment of fertilization, as suggested by some writers. However, present evidence provides sufficient motivation to believe that levonorgestrel, used as EC, possesses no clinically relevant effect during the post-fertilization period. (Lewis & Sullivan 2012)

Given the above information, the literature seems to indicate that the primary method of pregnancy prevention for each of these substances occurs pre-fertilization.  However, all 4 substances list alteration of the endometrium or prevention of implantation as possible mechanisms.  Plan-B seems to question this possible mechanism the most throughout the literature, as discussed by Lewis & Sullivan (2012).

Some blogs (Blog 1 & 2, as examples) are loudly declaring that the FDA has stated that none of these 4 substances are abortifacients.  I am not sure what studies the FDA is citing to make this declaration, but there is a simpler explanation of why many people believe these substances can have a post-fertilization mode of action.  It appears that they have gotten their information from the FDA required prescribing information documents of each of these contraceptives. 

Here are quotes from the documents for each of the substances in question.

ELLA
“When taken immediately before ovulation is to occur, ella postpones follicular rupture. The likely primary mechanism of action of ulipristal acetate for emergency contraception is therefore inhibition or delay of ovulation; however, alterations to the endometrium that may affect implantation may also contribute to efficacy.” 

In addition to this statement, information about trials in pregnant rats and primates (not humans) did show that established pregnancies were terminated by the substance in about 40% of the cases.  (Ella Patient Information Leaflet)

MIRENA
“The local mechanism by which continuously released LNG enhances contraceptive effectiveness of Mirena has not been conclusively demonstrated. Studies of Mirena and similar LNG IUS prototypes have suggested several mechanisms that prevent pregnancy: thickening of cervical mucus preventing passage of sperm into the uterus, inhibition of sperm capacitation or survival, and alteration of the endometrium.” (emphasis mine, Mirena Patient Information Leaflet)

PARAGARD
“The contraceptive effectiveness of ParaGard® is enhanced by copper continuously released into the uterine cavity. Mechanism(s) by which copper enhances contraceptive efficacy include interference with sperm transport and fertilization of an egg, and possibly prevention of implantation.” (emphasis mine, Paragard Patient Information Leaflet)

PLAN-B
“Plan B One-Step® works primarily by:  1) Preventing ovulation.  2) It may also work by: Possibly preventing fertilization by altering tubal transport of sperm and/or egg; or altering the endometrium, which may inhibit implantation” (emphasis mine; Plan-B Website)

Each of the 4 contraceptives in question list prevention of implantation as a possible mode of action in their patient information leaflet.  If you are not an academic with easy access to primary literature, it seems logical that you would draw the conclusion that these substance might have a post-fertilization mode of action to prevent pregnancy.  I mean – you read the information provided by the manufacturer! 

I want to repeat here a quote from above that gives some good food for thought on this topic - ”For the past two decades the scientific community seems to have been burdened with the impetus to prove, in contrast with the typical protocol by which the mechanism of action for a drug is determined, the manner by which a drug doesn’t act by proving “beyond a shadow of a doubt” the manner by which it does act. The authors of this manuscript would be foolish to believe that such a shadow will ever be completely removed from the inquiry at hand, at least until such a time as we have access to a test that might identify the moment of fertilization, as suggested by some writers.” (Lewis & Sullivan 2012)

Truly, after looking at the primary literature, I would not have an ethical issue personally using Mirena, or Plan-B.  The mechanism of action demonstrated in various studies appears to be pre-fertilization.  I do have quite a few questions about Ella, given the animal studies that have shown abortifacient properties in those species.  For both Plan-B and Ella, I also have questions about the safety and possible long term effects of repeated use, but those questions aren’t really relevant to the current question.  However, I very much understand the concern of those without my background in this area of study and without access to primary literature.  Published statements from the manufacturer’s themselves that support the view of Hobby Lobby! 

If one believes that human life begins at the moment of conception and that human life is special and worth protecting, erring on the side of caution seems a responsible path.  

Works Cited
Bhathena, R. K., & Guillebaud, J. J. (2008). Intrauterine contraception: an update. Journal Of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 28(3), 262-265. doi:10.1080/01443610802042266
BOSWORTH, M. C., OLUSOLA, P. L., & LOW, S. B. (2014). An Update on Emergency Contraception. American Family Physician, 89(7), 545.
Lewis, J. D., & Sullivan, D. M. (2012). ABORTIFACIENT POTENTIAL OF EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVES. Ethics & Medicine: An International Journal Of Bioethics, 28(3), 113-120.
Mandelin, E, Koistinen, R, Koistinen, H, Affandi, B, Seppala M.  Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device-wearing women express contraceptive glycodelin A in endometrium during midcycle: another contraceptive mechanism? Hum.Reprod. (1997) 12 (12):2671-2675 doi:10.1093/humrep/12.12.2671
McKeage, K., & Croxtall, J. D. (2011). Ulipristal Acetate: A Review of Its Use in Emergency Contraception. Drugs,71(7), 935-945. doi:10.2165/11207410-000000000-00000
Shohel, M., Mahfuzur Rahman, M., Zaman, A., Nasir Uddin, M., Al-Amin, M., & Mahmud Reza, H. (2014). A systematic review of effectiveness and safety of different regimens of levonorgestrel oral tablets for emergency contraception. BMC Women's Health, 14(1), 1-15. doi:10.1186/1472-6874-14-54
Standford JB, Mikolajczyk RT. 2002. Mechanisms of action of intrauterine devices: update and estimation of postfertilisation effects. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 187:1699–1708

Blog 1 - The Hobby Lobby Decision: A Summary and Explanation 7/1/14 Love, Joy, Feminism by Libby Anne
Blog 2 - If Hobby Lobby Wins, Pro-Life Christians Lose 6/27/14, Huffington Post by Rev. Richard Cizik
Ella Website – www.ellarx.com
Mirena Website – www.mirena-us.com  
Paragard Website – www.paragard.com


Thursday, December 19, 2013

Professor Johnson’s Gift to You for Christmas 2013


The Top-Five Things I Hope You Learned This Semester that have NOTHING to do with Biology
5.      In the real world, a ‘group project’ means that all team members work together to produce a final product.  Not everyone has the same strengths, but all members have something of value to offer.  Your outcome (in this class – your grade) of a group project is usually based on your individual contribution to the project’s creation and presentation.
4.      It is rude & distracting to the entire class to talk when others are speaking.  This is something that mature adults know and practice.  This applies to when the instructor is talking or when classmates are attempting to have a class discussion.  You may believe that whispering to your classmate in the back of the room is so quiet that no one will hear you, but you are incorrect.  Few things are more discouraging than having something important to say and realizing that the people you are talking to are choosing not to listen. 
3.      You look foolish when you ask a question that was answered 5 seconds before when you were busy texting, facebooking, or whispering to your neighbor.
2.      When your professor makes comments and suggestions on your paper, you should read those comments and change the paper as they have requested before re-submitting the assignment.  If you only submit a paper once before grading, the comments from one paper apply to the next assignment.
1.      You are capable of more than you know and believe.  You have the ability to read and learn many things on your own.  Your instructors want to help you with things you need more help on – not spoon feed you every piece of information you might possibly need to know.  Thomas Edison, one of the greatest American inventors ever, was adamant that his success was not due to some amazing intellect.  He often told people that it was “90% due to hard work.”  The great news is this is something that is completely within each individual’s control. 
It has been a great privilege to spend this semester with you in Introduction to Biology.  Please feel free to stop by my office and chat when you return in the Spring!  Have a wonderful and restful semester break and Christmas!