My nature is cheerful.  I am a very happy person.  I just roll with the punches.  But.....I am starting to get a little discouraged with this arm.  The infection has now spread, settled into my elbow, abscessed, and now I have to go have surgery next Monday to remove the bursa.  I hope that this does it.  I am never going to get my strength back if I can't get rid of all this infection.  (Well, that's about it for whining.)

I am optimistic that this surgery will fix part of the problem.  I am mixing optimism with prayer.  I called my brother, (Dr. Bill) and asked him about it and he said that he had the same thing, and the same surgery and to just "Do it."  So I am.

This surgeon was examining and pressing heavily into my elbow, and after a while, he looked up at me and said, "Doesn't this hurt?"  Well, duh.  But I figured he was doing what he had to do.  "Yes, it hurts a lot."

He said, "But you didn't react when I pushed on it."  And I said, "I don't react.  I figure you are doing what you need to do--so I figure that what I need to do is let you do it. So please, get done with what you are doing."

I am sure there is a lesson to be learned in all of this, but for the life of me I can't figure out what it is. I don't think that God makes us sick, or hurts us.  I think he will use it for his glory if we endure what comes our way with a confidant spirit that He won't give us more than we can bear.

So...........I hope someone out there is learning something.  I hope someone out there is gaining some knowledge from all this stuff I'm going through.  Because I'm sure not.  Therefore, it must be for you that I have to go through this???  Mercy!!!   I can do it if I think something good will come from it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 "There is no temptation (problem) taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer (let) you to be tempted above that you are able, but will, with the temptation (problem) also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it."