Monday, June 2, 2014

Monday (6/2/2014)

Update:

On Saturday morning, I quickly transitioned from no additional socks to 8 ply.  At that point I had to give up and go to the wheelchair because I couldn’t get my foam liner on 9 ply and my leg was too tight at the knee in my prosthesis; that was at 1 p.m.  I think we are on the right track with what we did on Friday at the prosthetist’s office.  I’m not certain how many more pads can be added because it was really tight putting it on first thing in the morning.  We’ll see what is recommended next.    Getting a prosthesis fitted is certainly more of an art form than a science.  Also I don’t make it easy by losing weight at such a rapid pace (currently over 5 pounds per week).  That keeps changing the diameter of my leg and it isn’t uniform loss either.  Eventually, my leg size will stabilize and that will help enormously. 

Saturday:  I had a good visit from my buddy Art in the morning.  I was so glad he stopped by.  My son, Josh, came over and mowed my lawn.  I had a company come over to give me an estimate on replacing my gutters.  They’ve rotted out in several places.  Josh and I also hung a towel rack in my bedroom.  I always have two to three items that I hand wash each night after taking my prosthesis off.  There just wasn’t enough space in the bathroom to get everything hung and dried.  I did about 70 minutes of exercise.  With my leg acting up, I never got to go for a walk today, so I got on my back and wore myself out doing the bicycle exercise—certainly not as satisfying as going for a walk!  Karen and I stayed home, caught up on the day’s events, and enjoyed the evening together. 

Sunday: I had great morning at church, a peaceful afternoon, and then in the evening I went to do three short worship services back-to-back at the County Jail.  Each service had between 4-12 men.  I had a good time and enjoyed the singing we did in each service.  I rode in my wheelchair all day.  It was safer than trying to walk and getting stuck somewhere in pain unable to take another step.

Monday: I have an early morning appointment with my physiatrist, Dr. Schmidt.  I’ll talk to her about the tendon snapping and knee joint popping and let her know about my weight loss and no longer needing insulin.  I know that she will ask me about my exercises.  I’ve been doing them 5-6 days per week, so I won’t get chided this time.  I’m hoping she has easy solution for how to stop the tendon from snapping across the fibula.  Later that morning I have an appointment with my retinal specialist, Dr. Wu.  I think he’ll be doing a thorough exam with photos and possibly a dye test as well to see what progress we’ve made with the treatments I’ve received.  Overall I have seen vast improvement in my right eye (get the pun?).  It might be time to get another eye injection (it is at least time to schedule the next one).  I am guessing that whatever he does that I will be done for the day after I finish my appointment with him.  Usually I end up going straight home and right to bed to sleep off the first few hours of discomfort (per his recommendation).  If he does give me an eye injection, I probably won’t post an Update/Thought on Tuesday because usually the day after an injection, I cannot see well enough to use a computer.

Thought for the Day:

Psalm 34:8   Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

I’ve been overwhelmed lately by how good God is to me.  I’ve received so many undeserved blessings.  His mercy, grace, and forgiveness flood my soul with a sense of His love.  He has given my innumerable opportunities to try again after I fail.  He encourages me to try again and again, believing the best in me.  He never gives up on me or has had enough so that He rejects me.  He is attentive to my prayers and often blesses me with more than I could have imagined or asked for.  I cannot even comprehend how the Lord God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth and everything in them, can pay attention to every aspect of my life.  He knows me in intimate detail and loves me despite of who I am and what I have done.  What an awesome God!

The good news is that God just doesn’t have a “Steve Hurd Fan Club.”  He feels the same way about everyone.  All He waits for is a sign that we are interested in Him.  He is willing to establish a relationship with anyone who is willing.  There is nothing that we can do that will stop Him from loving us.  That is hard to fathom since He is so completely unlike us in this manner.   You and I eventually give up on those who don’t act like they love us in return; but God never reaches that point.  None of us can ever reach a point that we are so far from God that He gives up on us and forever turns His back on us. 

James 4:8    “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”  (ESV)

Hebrews 7:25     “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”  (NIV)

Remember going to your favorite ice cream shop and getting a little tiny spoon full of the flavor you wanted to try?  They give away FREE SAMPLES!!??!?  Yes, because they know after you taste it; it will be so yummy that you’ll want to buy some so you can keep on enjoying the flavor. 

That is why God invites you to take a taste test.  He knows that once you get a taste of what He has to offer that you will want more.

Psalm 34:8   “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”


Don’t be satisfied with just a small taste of God; go ahead and invite Him to be a part of your life and enjoy the full flavor of God

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