LIFE AT 62 - KEEP THE FAITH - GODS PROMISES ARE TRUE

As I sit here thinking about what to write, after being prompted to write, I think of some of my friends and news that Ive gotten over the last little while.

I think of one who out of no where was told she had non smokers lung cancer.  Never smoked a day in her life, never really been around chemicals that might cause it, yet here it is.  She is doing chemo and radiation at the same time.  Cant imagine.  YET the Radiation Oncologist has changed the dosages of radiation a couple of times now because she is getting healed.

Another friend who has been fighting a multiple myeloma for almost 9 years now.  Still has strength, still working everyday, still undergoing chemo treatments.  He is relying on God for his strength, and Gods promises, which are true.

A new friend who had colon cancer and it just came back as a spot in her back, close to the aorta.  She just found out it is operable and that it is small enough they can remove it and do minimal radiation.

Another friend had multiple myeloma, and that was pretty much gone, and has returned and attached itself to his spine.

All of this going on in a world concerned about DOMA, about healthcare, about literally the world hating Americans, a congress that seemingly not caring for the people who elected them, leadership just literally seemingly trying to run this country into the ground, yet we all have friends who have been touched by this insipid disease.  We seem to have lost focus on the "real" important stuff.  What is going on with peoples health and wellness??  Quite simply I firmly believe we are under an attack from satan.  (I refuse to capitalize that name).  One must remember that ILLNESS is NOT from God.  I had yet another friend tell the other day about her husband being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and she was angry at God.  I had to stop her and let her know that while it is OK to get mad and angry at God, HE did not cause this disease.  He is a big guy and can handle people getting angry, but HE is not the one to get angry at.  If you want to get mad, take that anger out on the devil.  I can hear some chuckles out there already, thinking Ive totally lost my mind, but think about it for a minute.  IF ILLNESS is NOT from God, where does it come from?  There is only one other place, and that is from the pit of hell.  Take the anger and point it in the direction that it came from.  He knows he loses in the end, and he wants to harm as many as possible.  DONT let him have the upper hand.  Remember HE is a loser!

I know from talking to my 1st friend with the multiple myeloma, that God told him he would eventually be healed and for him to keep believing.  My other friend with the same disease has reaffirmed that he is totally believing in Gods healing.  My friend with the lung cancer, same thing, if fact EVERYONE I mentioned above believes that God will heal them.  Gods promises are true, not sometimes, but ALL THE TIME.

I have no idea exactly how many people were and still are praying for me.  Im incredibly blessed.  In fact, while I would never wish the c word on ANYONE, as one of my friends put it, we are honored to carry that badge because GOD will get the GLORY in the end.  Some of us will write, like I am, others will be more verbal, others will just live and let their life show the goodness and greatness of God.  God will ALWAYS get His HONOR!  He can take a very negative thing and turn it around for HIS glory, IF we will just let Him.  I know in my case, there is NO sign of disease.  Ive made that abundantly clear  for about the last year.  4 PET scans show that there is no disease.  In fact the ONLY residual I have is a much lower voice than I had before.  I used to be able to sing tenor, now, very low bass.  Im not concerned because I  know that when God heals, He COMPLETELY HEALS.  Never fear the unknown, because it is in His hands.  That has probably been the hardest thing for me over the last year and a half and that is not relying on my own strength.  HOWEVER Ive had no choice since I did not have a lot of strength.  EXAMPLE.  Last year on my birthday, I went for a bike ride with a friend, I believe I was only able to ride about 1 mile +/-.  NOW Im training for a mini triathalon.  God is good.

If you are sick, have a disease that some have told you is incurable or perhaps have given you no hope, LET GO OF THOSE THOUGHTS!!  Find your secret place and find God.  Pull out a Bible.  Read it, there are over 100 verses that refer to healing.  It is REAL, accept it.  YES sometimes God uses the chemicals and doctors and their abilities.  Sometimes He just reaches down and heals.  KEEP THE FAITH - ALL GODS PROMISES ARE TRUE

LIFE AT 61 - SOME THOUGHTS

As most of you who have been following this blog, you know Ive gone thru cancer treatments, and that God has healed me.  Seems pretty cut and dried doesnt it?  But what about AFTER the healing?  Ive been thinking of this for some time.

It is so easy to just go on about your business and say "OK, Im healed, I can just go on living."  HOWEVER that is not entirely true.  I think anyone who has been healed, including me, MUST make it known to anyone who will listen what God has done.  What does all this mean?  Honestly I really dont have all the answers, but I will impart what I do know.  :)  FIRST let me say Im eternally grateful for the healing that God gave me.  I dont know where I would be, or what my health would be like if He had not.  I do not believe that the chemo and radiation would have done what it did, had not God "anointed" it to do the healing.  There are certain physical and mental issues that derive from those two treatments.  "Chemo Brain".  Irritating, but not life threatening.  Makes you rely on God a bit more than you might otherwise.  Sometimes hard to do.  Radiation has some nice benefits.  For example, I only shave about every 3 - 4 days.  That is a bit more frequent than it was.  For awhile I was only shaving about once a week, sometimes every 10 days.  I still dont have hair growth on the back of my neck, and last radiation was July 13, so we are at about 10 months.  Kinda cool actually.  One benefit/side effect, look at it how you will, is that my voice is VERY low.  Singing voice is a very low bass.  It will eventually get back to where it once was, as the vocal folds are still a bit swollen.  Some people with this dont have a voice, God preserved mine.  I will equate it with what Paul called his "thorn in the flesh".  I do believe that God will finish the healing in HIS time.  Too often we want things done NOW.   It does not really bother me, in fact kinda fun at times.  LOL

Gods timing is ALWAYS impeccable.  He does not need a watch, He does not need a sundial, He KNOWS what time it is at all times.  I think sometimes we try too hard to understand who God is.  How hard is it, to try to imagine that God can take care of my need here in St Louis MO, and take care of someone elses need somewhere around the world at the very same time.  That is how HUGE God is.

Now for the biggest question that ANYONE can ask!  WHY does God heal some and NOT others.  WOW, do I really want to tackle this question.  It is one I have thought of many times over the last 1+ year.  What I do know is that God is WILLING to heal everyone.  It is NOT His will that ANYONE be SICK.  I do know that some people just give up and decide they want to die.  I do know of real cases where this has happened.  I know that God will use EVERYTHING for His Glory!  He can take and evil and turn it around for HIS Glory.  Im not at all sure why everyone is not healed however, aside from what I have mentioned.  I can only speak to MY situation.  I have not ever for even one minute, doubt that God was going to heal me.  Once I got the Dr's diagnosis in his office BEFORE the biopsy was done, and had a good cry, I never doubted that God was in control of this situation in my life, and that HE would get the GLORY for it, regardless of the outcome.  I can honestly say it was probably the  1st time in my life that I had totally given it over to God.  I really had no choice, nor did I have anything to lose.  So why not just give it over to God?  Really when you think about it, that is all HE really wants from us.  Just give ALL of our life over to Him.

I am now approaching a year since my last radiation treatment.  I just had a 4th PET scan that came back negative.  I had no doubt about the results.  My family had no doubts.  It was a Dr thing.  You must realize that MOST Dr's rely on what they can physically see, touch, and that is their way of understanding and diagnosing.

I have a good friend who was recently diagnosed with "non smokers lung cancer"!  HOW STRANGE IS THAT!!!!  Anyway.  Ive encouraged her as much as possible, told her about Gods healing power, though she knows that.  She is a believer and has been most of her life.  She just shared with me, and others great news about how the radiation oncologist was changing the radiation treatments because for some reason she is getting a lot better and that the cancer is going away.  AMAZING right?  Her oncologist is also amazed at her progress after only a few treatments.  PLEASE do not try to tell me that GOD is not in the healing business, HE IS!!!

KEEP THE FAITH FRIENDS.  If you need healing, or prayer, let me know and I will pray for you!!