Dr Hermansdorfer,  Thanks for taking the time to talk with us.

So tell us a little about yourself

I've been is the practice of orthopedic surgery here in Melbourne {Florida} for about 16 years.  I have several partners that I share expenses and emergency call with.  I love my work, but the stress of a busy surgical practice takes its toll on my family life and other activities.

Stress, Oh yea, you mean that life and death stuff!  So what's a typical day look like for you?

My typical day starts at 6am with a light workout, then to the office or to surgery.  I usually finish around 5pm.  Some days are shorter, but when I'm on emergency call, the day may go on till the wee hours of the morning.

Tell us about the most interesting time you have ever experienced in being a doctor.

It's difficult to pick any specific experience.  I have been blessed to be able to help others with the gifts God has given me.  I am constantly awed by what God can do when modern medicine comes to the end of itself.  Doctors are in a unique position to see miracles because we know how limited we really are in our abilities to heal.  It is the Great Physician who ultimately heals.

Sounds like you are a person of faith.  So when did you start embracing Christian ideals?

I grew up in a Presbyterian church in KY and I enjoyed an active youth program and many good times, but I don't think I embraced my faith until my adult years.  My experience was one of a gentle leading of the Lord to Himself through a series of changes; my marriage to a wonderful woman, the birth of our children, the miracles I witnessed in my medical practice, and the stark realization that I needed salvation for my sins.  I knew all too well that I was far from perfect and that my own efforts to make up for my sins were not going to impress the Creator of the Universe.  The message of the gospel was made crystal clear at a Promise Keepers meeting, and I made a very conscious decision to accept the gift of grace and Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

After the Promise Keepers event I got involved in a small men's accountability group.  We've been meeting every Friday morning for about 14 years to share our problems, pray together, and encourage each other to be strong in our faith.  I am also in a Wednesday morning men's group and a small couples group with my wife Pam.  Meeting with small groups of Christian brothers and sisters really has done more to help me grow in my faith than any other part of my church life I think.  These times together are also an opportunity to develop close friendships, and have a lot of fun!

That's a good point.  Church on Sunday can seem like just another activity on the calendar.  I guess being involved with the lives of people brings things much closer.  What caused you to really want to be involved in church stuff?

My scientific / medical background has created in me a great interest in the whole evolution controversy.  I have done a great deal of reading and learning about the holes in the widely accepted theory of Darwinian evolution.  As a result, I am able to share with others what I have learned in order to help those who tend to be skeptics (like me) to strengthen their faith.  We as Christians need not fear science, for it is scientific discovery that has done the most to prove that an intelligent Creator was necessary to make the universe in which we live.

In my opinion, creation simply could not have spontaneously occurred without the guiding hand of an infinitely intelligent and powerful God.

Ok, so let's see here.  So how do you keep all this stuff in balance that your involved with?  Working to the "wee hours in the morning," you have a wife and you said you had three kids...plus three different groups of guys and couples getting together and...then doing the Church thing on Sunday?  What about the fishing and the golf for crying out loud!

I believe balancing one's life has got to be the toughest job of all, no matter your profession.  I try very hard to keep Jesus first in my list of priorities. My wife is second, followed closely by our three children.  Relationships with family and friends (particularly within the body of Christ) come next, and then work (fishing, diving, golf, and other recreational stuff seem to find a place too, but usually in the process of enhancing those relationships). Now it doesn't always turn out this way, but my wife and the Holy Spirit let me know pretty fast when I've gotten out of sync.  My work can quickly jump to the front if I simply go with the flow of our culture, but I have enough experience to know that I'm a better doctor when I put God first.  My prayers help me keep things in proper perspective too.

Anything else you want us to know……

My advice to other busy people is this: don't let the thorns and thistles of this world get in the way of what God meant to be important in our lives.  We have a loving God who wants the best for us, but we must not put jobs or things in the place of Him and our relationships with others. Finally, enjoy the security we have in Jesus.  Enjoy the journey of life, it will be over before we know it.  Rejoice I say, rejoice! {Philippians 4:4}

Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with us.