Oh, I know we have the Blessings thread for the sake of acknowledging thanksgiving for that which we experience; yet, Sandy, you bring up a point of such great importance relevant to the means to live through pain to the Glory of God, that I figured here is precisely the proper spot to add a notation.

So many over time have expressed inspirational feelings regarding my "capacity to live through pain" as a matter of their perspective from outside my skin. These are blessed individuals such as yourself from afar, or folks who see me day by day even though they may not know me at a grocer or a hardware store. I so love to meet people and share blessings with them....... a crusade, if you will, which has become infective with and among people I chance to meet, for I am known as the "oh yeah, you are the guy who always says he feels blessed."

Living, whether knowing pain, or not, as was the case for three wonderful days last week due to the nerve blocks placed at my C7 nerve root for the right arm, has become for me an every day, every moment acknowledgement of the blessings I feel. As for me, you know these blessings as manna given by God throughout my life. Blessings.

So, while there is now titanium in my structure, and whatever metals make up the components of my Boston Scientific Precision Plus SCS for the lumbar and leg pain, I am otherwise very much human, and I am stricken low by pain daily in these times; HOWEVER, the "steel" you and others may perceive is something for which I daily and ever give Glory to God as a blessing known in my life. I may sit at my work desk where I practice law, bent over the desk for a moment by moment taking tiny steps knowing the pain will abate as I use the speech recognition program to continue my tasks of dictating documents...... AND I give all of the glory to God, who strengthens me, for through Him all things are possible.

Christ gives me the means, oh, and how I so love to sing, lifting the voice with which I was blessed to give glory to God. The voice is not mine for my sake; rather, it is a gift used to glorify He who helps me through each moment by each difficult moment of every day...... and yes, I too, very much love to hear the Ave Maris, of whichever arrangement, for I know two and sing both, as the Latin delivers the entire saving grace message, especially with the ending lyrics "mortis nostrae"- who died for us- the simplest two word message of grace which could be expressed, and so beautifully expressed in that music.

I so LOVE GOD, and it is as though I am blazing fire filled with a desire to give glory every single day. Thus I live. Steel, yes and absolutely, steel of character given by grace through God who strengthens me. A simple message of Thanksgiving. Moreover, I am His that He may use me however He will to bring Joy, Hope, Peace, Love, Understanding, Encouragement, and any other means by which I may be used by He who allows me to live for His sake to show thanks I may take tiny steps throughout each day.

There are those in my life who also provide living inspiration to me. Each of you who bless these threads with your presence, as it is your coming which demonstrates the life force by which we are all graced another moment to share for the hope of lending encouragement to another. My wife is thus also, and always at my side, or sometimes pushing my wheelchair if I cannot walk and cannot propel my wheelchair because with my right arm as it is, the pain would inhibit its use. Self use of a wheelchair with one arm causes one to make donuts [Now, that is a SMILE moment if ever I thought of one, right Eva?].

My Uncle Calvin, who, being shot down in his young adulthood in front of his family is a constant reminder of one who strove through agony each day for the rest of His long life to Work his orchards, provide for his family, AND give glory to God. My father-in-law, Grandpa Fred, who being stricken with back pain of the likes I have suffered, used both wheelchair and double crutches to live life to the full and give glory to God. My sister-in-law, an RSD patient whose legs are gone and who with morphine lives each day giving glory to God. An inspiration in Joni Eriksen-Tata suffered a fall as an athlete becoming quadraplegic, yet lives each day giving glory to God.

So, I add my daily moments being infected of the spirit in a way which causes me to "leap for joy" in a spiritual way. What a glorious blessing!

This life I live, a gift to give
that more may know the grace of Him
who with His blood of sacrifice
brought here to us grace having no price
a gift we receive to take a step
and shine so brilliantly as those who help
to bring among the waste of man
so many pools of light the plan
that life well known among us here
become lignt filled with loving cheer
as each who meets us take a smile
to share along those life lived miles.

Brief, to the point, a challenge for me everyday. May I bring the light of life to even one other in the day soon to dawn? How lovely a life we each are given. A smile is a frown turned upward in grace.

How very blessed am I, and Sandy, thank you for inspiring me to go on and on about this in the wee hours today. My day is already brilliant with light, though the dawning is a few hours away!
Blessings to you, my friend,
Praying ever and always for all who grace these pages with thoughts of need, of pain, of cries for help, the questions, some fear, others with joy and success,
Oh, how I love coming into this place where we may share,
Mark56