Dear Nation of Family and Friends,

I am finishing the first month of rehabbing my new hip and all is going well... The future looks good and I seem to be right on track. With all that said, I still easily tire and can't quite concentrate on any topic for more than a few minutes... but some would say that sounds normal for me. I am thankful to Dr. Paul Thomas and his team for doing such a fantastic job on the replacement, I can already feel how much more stable I am and how greatly this will benefit my life. After thirty days I am reminded that like anything... time is a real healer.

As I was being put to sleep for the surgery I kept holding onto one thought and that was... because the Lord is in charge of everything, I am going to be alright and because of the good people working on me, I will be better very soon. Now as I look back on that moment I am better and all will be fine. A dear friend once told me... "We must learn to remember our future into our present" and that has stuck with me through my rehab time. I need to learn that because the Gospel is true... and God's Grace is sufficient for all our trials... we will make it through. Even the most drastic events and tragic ordeals are opportunities to learn to remember our future, which is that we are eternally safe in the arms of our Savior, into those present situations. This isn't some pie in the sky fatalism. It is the truth that our loving Heavenly Father is at work every moment of our lives and when the outlook is the bleakest or darkest that is when He is most present and powerful.

Remember our future as a Nation is eternal life without brokenness and tears... but also remember that to get there we will be broken and share many moments of sadness... today as I cry out from the pain of my deep surgery I will cry for you and the pain you are suffering. Stay close to Jesus... He is at work in all those who believe!

Deep love,
Scott