Octopus Attack

Thought that title might snag your attention. In the past two weeks I have had some skin cancer removed from my nose and the sides of my forhead. Without the bandages I look like I was attached by some monster with suction cups on their arms. The surgery on my nose took 9 hours yesterday. Most of that time was waiting for the samples to be tested to see if they had removed all the cancer. If they had not, I went back in for some more cutting. The process used is called Mohs which is just a guys name, I guess. I look like the dickens, but feel OK. I'll feel much better when I can remove the "huge" bandage over my nose.

I am a typical candidate for skin cancers. I have naturally light brown hair that would turn a medium blonde in the summer. I tanned easily, but never darkly, and did burn often when younger and less wise. Also, for a dry skin condition, I used a petrolatum based cream on my face for many years until about a year ago. I am sure that didn't help reduce my suceptability to the sun's radiation. Now I always wear a wide brim gardening hat whenever I work outside. Live and learn (and hopefully don't die in the process).

Pray for President-elect Obama. I didn't vote for him, but he will be my President and can be used by God to His glory. God doesn't expect us to be perfect (who is?), just present and willing to serve. No government has been God's government since the Israelites insisted they needed a King (just because everyone else had one didn't make it right). By the way; this isn't pickin' on the Israelites, we are just as bad when we want our government to solve problems caused by our greed and selfishness. If we were all like the Samaritan (who's country was definitely NOT a favored nation) our world would not be experiencing the current financial crisis. Sometimes the many are hurt by the sins of the few. At other times the many are blessed by the faithfullness of the few. Remember, our relationship with God through Jesus Christ is individual and personal. No Church, no Government, and no Nation/State can claim any exclusivity or partiality when it comes to God's favor. Israel my be a special case, but I think few would volunteer for the persecutions suffered by those people over the centuries. We can best honor God by honoring the government we have and limiting any conflict we have with it to issues that may explicitly contradict God's express will (through His Word).

Arnold is into cold weather now. We have had a killing frost and I will have to remove all the vinca plants, trim back the roses & check over the other plantings to make sure they survive the winter. Leaves are still falling. I'll wait a while before I mulch them, though I'll still have to do a second round since the Oak leaves fall much later.

Happy Democratic Presidency & Congress from Arnold, MO
May we all partake in the riches of Christ Jesus