Happy Halloween!

A quick update since we haven't posted in awhile. I had surgery to remove some bad bones a little over two weeks ago and more integra implanted. I went to the surgeon on Thursday and everything looks good. The wound vacc is no longer having to be bridged between the bottom and top of my foot. The wound on the top of the foot has graduated to a band aid and some antibiotic. Not bad for a wound where originally I could see one of my toe tendons. The wound vacc is now directly on the bottom wound only. I see the surgeon again in two weeks and we'll decide where we go then.

I went to the eye doctor yesterday. The old eyes are good and they haven't changed much. Getting new glasses because the ones I have are scratched badly. It will be another new look for me, so be ready.

I gain a little bit more stamina with each outing, but still realize I tire easily.

Karen's doing well and each physical therapy session gives her a little more strength. She's been cleared to travel...so she's fully back in the saddle again. I can't wait to be back there myself.

It's a beautiful Saturday here close to All Hallows Eve and then All Saints Day!

Home....

Hebrews 11:13-16
"All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land they left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed God has a city prepared for them."

"We are all strangers in a strange land, longing for home, but not quite knowing what or where home is. We glimpse it sometimes in our dreams, or as we turn a corner, and suddenly there is a strange, sweet familiarity that vanishes almost as soon as it comes." (Story as Truth: The Rock that is Higher, Madeleine L'Engle, pg. 24)

"Whenever we encounter the beautiful, our hearts awaken , stir, quicken, thrill because there is and extraordinary magic power in the least thing; ...a shade of the sky at a given moment of the day, or a calm, cold night brilliant with starshine - all things that ravish the heart....They are little oases in the vast wasteland of the world." - Brennan Manning

"So where is the home for which we are so homesick? It is something that is still to come; it is that towards which all Creation is groaning in travail. It is the kingdom of God that will be ready when Christ comes again, not only to us on our little planet, but to all of Creation. We are homesick not so much for something that was, and was lost, as for something that will be, and is to be found." (Story as Truth: The Rock that is Higher, Madeleine L'Engle, pg. 31)

"Perhaps the city of God is not so much a place in space, as a place in the heart." (L'Engle, pg. 32)

Home is a place I've never been to, yet I've longed for all my life.

"No sooner had He spoken than I caught a glimpse of the Light that had escaped the Most Holy Place when the Lord first entered the torn veil. It continued its boundless journey through the ages, touching every time and every nation. It was not a haphazard flash of light, but a calculated, methodical search for everyone who ever lived. Upon each one, the Light of His glory rested, urging, nudging, calling, drawing each person to Him who sits on the throne.
I sat in awe of the Light's gentle determination to shine in the heart of every living person, revealing the love and forgiving power of the Christ of God." (Romancing the Divine, Don Nori, pg.175)

"And so it goes, all of Creation singing its praise of the Lord from the place of joy, which is home."
(L'Engle, pg. 34)

Home from day surgery...

Just a quick update...home from day surgery at Baylor Surgical Hospital. All went well and the surgeon believes we know have gotten rid of all the offending tissue. He put another round of integra in it's place so we hope we're on the downhill side of regrowing my whole foot. Unfortunately, I now have two floppy toes that will bear watching all the time. Poor little piggies...now two of them "have none!" Looking forward to a whole, healed foot and some walking in the future, hopefully back in my beloved Hatch before too long.

In the meantime, here's a great quote from Richard Foster for those of you who really want to be Christian leaders:

"In the everlasting kingdom of Christ. low is high, down is up, weak is strong, service is power. Do you sincerely want to engage in the ministry of power? Do you want to be a leader who is a blessing to people? Do you honestly want to be used by God to heal human hurts? Then learn to become a servant of all. 'If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.'
(Mark 9:35) The ministry of power functions through the ministry of the towel." - From Money, Sex, and Power by Richard J. Foster

We could use a heavy dose of this reminder in our lives today! I certainly intend to live differently from now on...:-).

The Night Shift

"There is always a night shift and sooner or later we are put on it. The praise does not cease with the fading of the light, but goes on through the spiritual night as well as the spiritual day. And if you are picked for the night shift - well, praise the Lord. Lift up your hands in the dark sanctuary of your soul when you are tempted to wonder what is the good of it all, and praise the Lord! and the Lord, maker of heaven and earth, will bless you from Zion." - From The Fruits of the Spirit, by Evelyn Underhill

Them Bones.....

I went to my original orthopedic surgeon today for a consult on what to do about the bad places in the toe bones of my foot. We have scheduled surgery for this Friday morning, October 15 to remove pieces of bad bone in my right foot attaching the fourth and fifth toe (Poor little piggies!). That will leave them both "floppy" but the doctor thinks some scar tissue will form that will help stabilize them both. He will also put in some more integra in that place to facilitate tissue growth. Hopefully, this will encourage real good tissue growth in that area and hopefully this is the last surgery (unless of course they were to have to do a skin graft...but we'll see).

I don't know what time Friday morning, but it will either be at the Baylor/All Saints main hospital or the Baylor Surgical Hospital where I had my integra implant about a month ago (Has it really been that long?). I'm betting Baylor Surgical because Dr. Wagner already has a 7 a.m. surgery scheduled before me.

I don't believe this will be much of a setback...but will actually move me forward to heal and rehab my foot. I will post more as plans solidify.

Suffering and Grace........

"To be sure, [grace] is full of joy, a supernal joy of amazing buoyancy and light; and yet I think that grace and suffering must be seen together. It is by grace that the world of nature is redeemed, and there is no redemption except by the cross. No poem is written, no picture painted, no music made, no sinner forgiven, no child born, no [person] loved, no truth known, no stone shaped, no peace attained, except grace took a risk, bore a burden, absorbed the evil, and suffered the pain."
The Dilemma of Modern Belief, Maxie Dunnam

Just pondering my past and future tonight...

The Saturday Morning Adventure!

We were asked if we were crazy when we told people we wanted to take Lucy and Charlie Brown to the Pet Blessing at Broadway. Yes, we were probably crazy but we did take them and us for their blessing on Saturday morning. We made it - it was quite comical getting Tim in the car hopping down the drive on one foot, putting the brakes on his walker all the way down; then getting the dogs in the car individually and then getting me in the car with my cane to go. We did it and had a wonderful time being outside with our 4 legged children and being with other Broadway friends. We did manage to make it back home even if Charlie did pull himself out of his body harness when trying to get him back into the car. Thank goodness, he didn't take off running! Now that would not have been a pretty scene!



At least we didn't try taking all 3 dogs. We left Gus at home - he received his blessing last year but he actually needs an exorcism! He's known as the "devil dog".