1. Kate and Charles confirmed

Barb and I were overjoyed to participate in Kate and Charles’ confirmation at International Anglican Churchhere in Colorado Springs this last Sunday. We’ll treasure our precious memories of that evening for eternity. We’re so grateful for all that God is doing in and through each of them individually, in their marriage, and in their professions. We couldn’t be more grateful to be called mom and dad by them both! Below are their confirmation testimonies. To the far left is Bishop Ken Ross and to the far right is their pastor, Rev. Ken Robertson.

Kate Ritz

My Healer has healed me and is healing me still even though He won’t make me whole until I’m Home. I don’t have anything to prove to anyone, least of all Him. He uses my brokenness now for His glory although He loves me too much to leave me as I am. Be utterly delights in me, so I have never been, am not, nor will I ever be, a mistake in His eyes.

From Kate’s confirmation mentor:

Kate has begun a journey of seeing herself, her worth, as a daughter of the King, through new eyes—a re-forming of her thoughts and intentions. She has begun to see her weaknesses as signs of being fearfully and wonderfully made. She wants to reach out in courage and strength to others. Her desire is to become more like the Lord Jesus and to reflect Him well in all her relationships. — Jan Gay

Charles Ritz

The Spirit is teaching me the spirit of the law versus the letter of the law and how it can be best used to serve, help, and protect those in need. I have learned to accept God’s grace as I continue to practice forgiveness, patience, and love for others. I yearn to continue serving others for the benefit of all.

From Charles’s confirmation mentor:

Charles is a man of strength with a heart for the vulnerable. Out of the ashes of difficult trials, God has raised Charles up as a warrior of mercy to the weak and those in need. Charles thrives at supporting and caring for a team in the likeness of our Shepherd. His true strength is in His hunger for God that has been formed out of God’s tender Fathering and delight in Charles. — Daniel Van Valkenburg

2. Proud of Scott, also

Scott serves as Director of Development Events at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory  University, which is Georgia’s National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

3. A sweet encouragement from an old friend

Early in April, I had this surprise note from a man who served on the faculty of the Duke University Family Medicine Residency, where I was trained in family and sports medicine from 1978-1981:

April 8th. An ordinary day on most peoples’ calendars with no special celebration or commemoration. But not always and not for all.

April 8, 2024: Celebration of a total solar eclipse.

April 8, 1945:

• In a wooded forest near Rottershausen, Germany, a young American soldier, critically wounded, bleeding, and near death, experienced a Passover of Nazi soldiers, lived, and earned recognition as an extraordinary war hero.
• Within hours, in a hospital in Chicago, United States of America, a premature boy was born, struggled for life in a crude incubator, and one day joined the medical school faculty at Duke University.
• We commemorate my and your father’s lives.

Walt, I have no idea how you learned my birthday, but I now know why you could never forget it.

I bought the Kindle+Audible version of At First Light as soon as it was available. I couldn’t stop listening and cried more than once.

I have been surprised and gratified that you have acknowledged my birthday with an annual email. I remember well that Suzanne (1946-2001) and I considered you and Barb our favorite resident couple. I knew then that you were special and advocated for you when we were choosing residency candidates.

But, Walt, you have exceeded my wildest expectations! Physician, renowned author, teacher, and media celebrity—you hit it out of the park!

Please convey my greetings and best wishes to Barb. Behind every great man…

This man was one of my most favorite faculty members, and unfortunately, we’ve lost track through the years. I didn’t even know he had lost the love of his life.  But his kind words and feedback were an inspiration, encouragement, affirmation, and blessing to me. I’m deeply grateful to him for his mentoring, support, and this sweet note.

4. “What the Bible Says About …” daily devotional released last month

For several over two decades, I’ve been working on a daily devotional titled, “What the Bible Says About …”. It was released on the YouVersion app a few weeks ago and already has over 7,600 subscribers, which just blows me away..

Here are the topics from the First Month’s Bible readings in the devotion: What the Bible has to say about:

1. The power of words for harm
2. The power of words for good
3. Listen before you speak
4. Listen before you respond
5. Think before you speak 
6. Edify when you speak
7. Speak the truth in love
8. Gracious words
9. The type of talk God loves
10. How words can harm
11. You are chosen
12. Your Old Heart – 1
13. Your New Heart – 1
14. Your Old Heart – 2
15. Your New Heart – 2
16. Your Bad Desires
17. Your Good Desires
18. God’s Desires – 1
19. God’s Desires – 2
20. The Will of God
21. Young Men
22. Old Men
23. Young Women
24. Old Women
25. Stand Firm
26. Persevering
27. Trials
28. Persevering

You can sign up (for free) by:

• Downloading the YouVersion app and register (it’s free)
• Click on the “Discover” or “Search” icon (🔎)
• Type in “Larimore”
• Click on the plan “What the Bible Says About”
• Click on “Start Plan”

You can also look at the devotional/Bible reading plan in your browser here.

5. “Vaccine News You Can Use” for Family Physicians – Spring 2024

I’ve been honored to write a quarterly column, “Vaccine News You Can Use” for the Colorado Family Physician journal for several years. If you’d like to see any of the vaccine updates that are listed below, that were contained in the Spring 2024 edition of CFP, click here:

• More than one in six toddlers not receiving all of the earliest childhood vaccines – page 30.
• CDC issues alert amid rising measles cases while the anti-vaccine movement is downplaying the danger – pages 30-31.
• The impact of mild skin reactions to COVID vaccines on hesitancy to receive additional doses – page 31.
• CDC recommends new pentavalent meningococcal disease vaccine for teens and young adults – pages 31-32.
• RZV [shingles] vaccine extremely effective in real-world study – page 32.
• HPV vaccination remains highly effective over time – pages 32-33.
• HD flu vaccine for those aged 50 to 64 more effective than standard-dose vaccine – page 34.
• Coadministration of RSV and HD influenza vaccine safe and well-tolerated – page 35.
• More Vaccine News You Can Use from my Blog and the Headlines – page 35.

6. List of last month’s blogs at DrWalt.com

• Family and Writing
  • At First Light
    • List of my March Blogs on “Where was Dad 80 years ago today?”
    • “At First Light” celebrates 2nd anniversary and here’s what’s happened since release
    • “At First Light” celebrates 2nd anniversary with the best review of all

• My new devotional: “What the Bible Says About …”
  • NEWS: My New Devotional: “What the Bible Says About …” (more details above)
  • An Introduction to my New Devotional: “What the Bible Says About …”
  • Week One of my New Devotional: “What the Bible Says About …” The power of words, listening and thinking before you speak, edify when you speak
  • Week Two of my New Devotional: “What the Bible Says About …” Speak the truth in love, Gracious words, Talk God loves, Words can harm, You are chosen
• Health articles
  • March 2024 issue of Today’s Christian Living my 7-part article was on “Is Red Rice Yeast the Best Treatment for a Potential Killer – High Cholesterol?”
    • “Red Rice Yeast for High Cholesterol?” (Part 1 of 7)
    • “What is cholesterol and why should you care?” (Part 2 of 7)
    • “How do you find out if you have an abnormal cholesterol?” (Part 3 of 7)
    • “How do you deal with abnormal cholesterol numbers?” (Part 4 of 7)
    • “What is red yeast rice?” (Part 5 of 7)
    • “Should you use red yeast rice?” (Part 6 of 7)
    • “Why choose a statin instead?” (Part 7 of 7)
  • Spiritual Care
    • Praying with patients in clinical care (ICMDA Webinar – 1 of 5)
    • Using a spiritual history in clinical practice (ICMDA Webinar – 2 of 5)
    • Using a spiritual history to uncover religious struggle (ICMDA Webinar – 3 of 5)

Feel free to let friends and family know that they can subscribe for free to the new blog here.

7. List of last month’s WWII blog in my continuing series: “Where Was Phil Larimore 80 Years Ago Today?”

I’m continuing a blog on most days for the next 18 months or so following my father’s exploits and adventures during WWII. Each blog will represent what he and the men with whom he was fighting were doing 80 years ago on the exact day of the blog. Here are last month’s blogs:

• April 1, 1944 – An intensive training schedule was underway, but for what?
• April 2, 1944 -Soldiers in the hell of a foxhole on the Anzio beachhead
• April 3, 1944 – Movies on the Anzio beachhead
• April 4, 1944 – Fresh bread at Anzio—Yanks ignore shells to keep bakery humming
• April 5, 1944 – Phil awarded his first medal of valor, the Silver Star
• April 6, 1944 – Memphian, Phil Larimore says life at Anzio far from ‘Beer And Skittles’
• April 7, 1944 – Good Friday on the Anzio beachhead while a war correspondent looked back on successes and failures
• April 8, 1944 – Troops back from the front line have that ‘look’ in their eyes
• April 9, 1944 – Easter on Anzio celebrated while hospital bombed yet again
• April 10, 1944 — Nazi Shells Coming Faster Than You Could Count Them
• April 11, 1944 — What It’s Like With The Yanks In Their Anzio Dugouts
• April 12, 1944 — Phil writes home after being ordered back to the front line
• April 13, 1944 — Allies on beachhead stronger than ever; new drive is near
• April 14, 1944 — Anzio—Where our men held. Generals may have erred, but doughboys didn’t
• April 15, 1944 — Mules to the Rescue on Anzio
• April 16, 1944 — Flat battleground at Anzio has driven entire U. S. Army into dugouts
• April 17, 1944 — Even the dead are not safe on the Anzio beachhead
• April 18, 1944 — Army finally comes thru with a practical front-line stove and candles
• April 19, 1944 — Adopted kids at Anzio
• April 20, 1944 — Enemy names given to the Germans on Anzio
• April 22, 1944 — At the Anzio beachhead preparations for a breakout took on a febrile intensity
• April 23, 1944 – Front line rifle companies at Anzio were seldom at full strength except by accident
• April 24, 1944 — A letter home to mom from Anzio
• April 25, 1944 – German intelligence increasingly confused and anxious about the coming Anzio breakout
• April 26, 1944 — Tank-led Americans gain a mile at Anzio
• April 27, 1944 — The lull before the coming massive breakout at Anzio
• April 28, 1944 — Planning for two massive campaigns at once
• April 29, 1944 — A disaster unfolds for Phil and his men
• April 30, 1944 — Final training for the upcoming breakout from Anzio begins

• List of my March 2024 Blogs on “Where was Dad 80 years ago today?”
• List of my February 2024 Blogs on “Where was Dad 80 years ago today?”
• List of my January 2024 Blogs on “Where was Dad 80 years ago today?”

Could I ask a favor? Could you let friends and family who are WWII aficionados know about the blog? They can sign up for it at www.DrWalt.com.

8. Last Month’s Happenings

• Barb is almost completely healed from her inguinal hernia repair.
• No travel, speaking, or PR events were held, but I spent 2 days in the ER observation area for a severe case of viral pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, and bronchitis. The docs were worried about possible epiglottitis, but the epiglottis was spared. Anyway, it took about three weeks to recover, but just today I’m feeling back to myself..
• The 9^th semester of the marriage ministry Barb and I direct, ReEngage, is coming to an end in a couple of weeks. We’ve been blessed to help so many couples as they work on their marriages – and it’s even neater to see the Lord at work in the lives of His kids.

9. Upcoming Events

• May 15, we’ll celebrate the graduation of 25 couples from our semester-long ReEngage program. We’re so proud of each of them!
• Then, May 16 we leave for a three-week trek to London, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. We’re so looking forward to this time together. We’ll return home on June 4, so next month’s newsletter will be delayed a week or so.

10. Past Three Editions

• April 2024
  • ARMY magazine carries an article about my father’s WWII exploits
  • “What the Bible Says About …” daily devotional just released
  • At First Light released in soft cover
  • “Ask Dr. Walt” column in March’s Today’s Christian Living magazine on high cholesterol
  • List of last month’s blogs at DrWalt.com
  • List of last month’s WWII blogs in my continuing series: “Where Was Phil Larimore 80 Years Ago Today?”
• March 2024
  • At First Light released in soft cover
  • Don’t miss my continuing blog series: “Where Was Phil Larimore 80 Years Ago Today?”
  • “Vaccine News You Can Use” for Family Physicians – Winter 2024
  • Last Month’s Other Blogs at DrWalt.com
• February 2024
  • Don’t miss my new blog series: Where Was Phil Larimore 80 Years Ago Today?
  • Last Month’s Other Blogs at DrWalt.com
  • “Ask Dr. Walt” column in January’s Today’s Christian Living magazine
  • Good-bye to “Ask Dr Walt” after four seasons on LiftableTV