Perfect through sufferings

Yesterday, we received news that a dear friend, Gene, had an accident and lost his finger.  He is a true servant of the Lord and a pillar in our body of believers here in Borrego.  He and his wife have been struggling recently with the economy, his hip (he needs a replacement), and now this.  He works in construction and is a guitar player, so fingers are essential.  I understand his biggest concern is not being able to play his guitar since he loves to worship.  Please pray for Gene and his wife, Susie.  We know that God works everything together for good for those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
If you would like to help support his business, check out his cool porch swings: http://www.sevenfootporchswing.com/Home.html.

(The following is taken from Streams in the Desert, December 2)

Steel is iron plus fire.  Soil is rock, plus heat, or glacier crushing.  Linen is flax plus the bath that cleans, the comb that separates, and the flail that pounds, and the shuttle that weaves.  Human character must have a plus attached to it.  The world does not forget great characters.  But great characters are not made of luxuries, they are made by suffering.

I heard of a mother who brought into her home as a companion to her own son, a crippled boy who was also a hunchback.  She had warned her boy to be very careful in his relations to him, and not to touch the sensitive part of his life but go right on playing with him as if he were an ordinary boy.  She listened to her sonas they were playing; and after a few minutes he said to his companion: "Do you know what you have got on your back?"  The little hunchback was embarrassed, and he hesitated a moment.  The boy said : "It is the box in which your wings are; and someday God is going to cut it open, and then you will fly away and be an angel."

Someday, God is going to reveal the fact to every Christian, that the very principles they now rebel against, have been the instruments which He used in perfecting their characters and molding them into perfection, polished stones for His great building yonder. (Cortland Myers)

Suffering is a wonderful feritlizer to the roots of character.  The great object of this life is character.  This is the only thing we can carry with us into eternity... To gain the most of it and the best of it is the object of probation. (Austin Phelps)

By the thorn in the road and no other is the mount of vision won.