Monday, June 16

Dear Friends,

Things are going well with the Binion boys. Schuyler was able to be up in a wheelchair for a short time but he's very weak. They are talking about moving him to the rehab floor soon, maybe tomorrow. He has also been cleared to eat soft foods and they want him to be on a 3000 calorie per day diet. That sounds like a lot of mashed potatoes and applesauce to me! Ha!
Sam is also doing better. He's a little behind Schuyler in the rehab because of some pain in his hip. Karin told me a funny story about Sam today. He had to see an occupational therapist and she evaluated him by asking him different questions; many of which were math story problems and some analogies and familiar sayings. One she asked him to answer was "Roses are red, violets are _________." Sam answered, "Blue". Then she asked, "Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is __________." Sam answered, "$1.39 a pound!" Karin said she and the therapist could hardly contain their laughter at that. Laughter will be good therapy in the days ahead.

I read in Ecclesiastes something I had never really noticed before. Eccl. 7:1-5 says:

"A good name is better than fine perfume,
and the day of death better than the day of birth.
It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of every man;
the living should take this to heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter,
because a sad face is good for the heart.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure."

Might this be in keeping with Matthew 5:4

"Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted."

"Take away my capacity for pain and you rob me of the possibility for joy." Ross W. Marrs

I'll close with the words to a favorite hymn.

"The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures,
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures."

In Him, Cristal