I have avoided talking about this, but Cheri said that my blog should be like my journal and that I should let you know what is going on in my life. For quite some time I've been dealing with some pain. At first, it was annoying and intermittent, but it has been escalating lately and a few times has been very, very, hard to handle. I've been to several different doctors looking for the cause and no one has been able to pinpoint anything. I also understand that SCI patients can have phantom pain.  Phantom pain is is usually associated with amputees, but nevertheless it is still being interpreted as pain.
I'm unable to spend more than a few minutes at a time sitting at the computer. I did find out Tuesday that what I'm feeling may be muscular pain in my abdomen, and not due to my stomach or diaphragm.
I do have several scriptures committed to memory that I try to concentrate on when the pain shows up.
1st Peter 5: vs. 8-10 is my first one to go to. I have several others, but I would like some advice from you about others because I know that everyone has gone through  trying times at some point.

I've already spent too much time whining, it's time for "A Merry Heart"

A man was walking along a California beach and stumbled across an old lamp. He picked it up and rubbed it and out popped a genie.
The genie said "OK, OK. You released me from the lamp, blah blah blah. This is the fourth time this month and I'm getting a little sick of these wishes so you can forget about three. You only get one wish!"
The man sat and thought about it for a while and said, "I've always wanted to go to Hawaii but I'm scared to fly and I get very seasick. Could you build me a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive over there to visit?"
The genie laughed and said, "That's impossible. Think of the logistics of that! How would the supports ever reach the bottom of the Pacific? Think of how much concrete...how much steel!! No-think of another wish."
The man said OK and tried to think of a really good wish. Finally,he said, "I've been married and divorced four times. My wives always said that I don't care and that I'm insensitive. So, I wish that I could understand women.... know how they feel inside and what they're thinking when they give me the silent treatment.... know why they're crying, know what they really want when they say 'nothing'.... know how to make them truly happy...."
The genie said, "You want that bridge two lanes or four?"
Much Love, Dennis

I been able to take advantage of the cooler weather to spend some time outside in the mornings. I can sit on the deck, dwell on some Scriptures that I have memorized and just enjoy God's creation. In the evenings Cheri and I have been able to spend some time on the deck visiting and going over devotions. I've really been enjoying these times.

School is back in session and I don't see as many of kids running up and down the street as usual. Last week while I was out with my dad one afternoon I bumped into my high school English teacher, Geraldine Burns. She remembered me after one small hint. She is an outstanding teacher and I really appreciate what I learned in her class even though if I had put out a little effort, I would've learned much more.
I thought this might be a good time for a joke about school.

A mom and dad were worried about their son not wanting to learn math at the school he was in, so they decided to send him to a Catholic school. After the first day of school, their son comes racing into the house, goes straight into his room and slams the door shut. Mom and dad are a little worried about this and go to his room to see if he is okay. They find him sitting at his desk doing his homework. The boy keeps doing that for the rest of the year. At the end of the year the son brings home his report card and gives it to his mom and dad. Looking at it they see under math an A+.
Mom and dad are very happy and ask the son, "What changed your mind about learning math?"
The son looked at mom and dad and said, "Well, on the first day when I walked into the classroom, I saw a guy nailed to the plus sign at the back of the room behind the teacher's desk and I knew they meant business."

Much Love, Dennis