HAPPY NEW YEAR ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
I imagine that we Carlton’s did the same thing that most everyone reading this page did today…that is,..we slept late, watched too much TV, and ate a lot of food that we normally don’t prepare for ourselves.

For us it was Seafood Gumbo, Black-eyed peas (with slimy okra), fried oysters, and omelets. Yes, dear ole dad cooked omelets early at the special request of Chase.

And what a day the first day of 2009 was for Memphis. It was such a sunny and wonderful day to start this new year. The sky could not of been any bluer.

As for New Years Eve festivities, the kids spent the early evening with us. We played some games and sat around talking mostly. We usually love having friends over, but a real laid back evening was just what the Dr. ordered.

Speaking of doctors, Peggy and I visited with Dr. Weir on Wednesday. We asked him a lot of questions about the different treatment options that are being planned for me and then asked him for more help managing my pain. We are trying to change up, add to, or possibly take away various pain medicines to come up with something that helps me. Without boring everyone with the details suffice it to say that I really am in excruciating pain without all the medicines. In particular my left leg has shooting pain that runs down the back of my leg that I can’t seem to resolve. The only thing that helps is not standing up. (I’m typing this sitting down)

So, all day long I’ve been sitting around thinking of how I can get things accomplished in short little runs. It goes like this, “If I can shuffle to the bedroom and change socks, I might have time to walk back to the kitchen to turn off the oven, and then go fall on the couch.” After 5 minutes rest, I can plan another excursion.

Anyway, at the stroke of mid-night the kids hooked up with the Varners next door to shoot our traditional fireworks. We had a good time, but for the first time in my life I went back and read the verbiage on the side of fireworks that says, “Adult Supervision Required”. Huh!

We had all been shooting mortars when someone placed a small mortar in a large launch tube. Normally, the explosion creates pressure and sends the firework shooting out into space to explode. However, when the tube is too big, there is little compression and the launch doesn’t go so high. The mortar we lit flew about 30 feet into the air an exploded right in front of us. WOW. Needless to say we were all pretty happy that no one got hurt. It was exciting though! Happy New Year ! After the show, the kids left for a spend-the-night party and we got our second wind to play cards till 3 am.

On Friday, Peggy and I will be traveling back to Little Rock to meet with Dr Barlogie.

We really, really need God’s wisdom and guidance to be with us tomorrow. There are few options and some really tough decisions that we are going to have to make.

Please lift us up in prayer with us as we sort though the issues.

James 1:2-8 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Col 3: 15-17 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Frank