In 1982, I was a 33 year old male. I had hopes and dreams about being a competition body-builder. I was in excellent physical condition.

At the time, I was employed by an industrial scale company. The work was very physical, but it would help me attain my goal. Much of my work consisted of lifting fifty pound hand weights on a daily basis in order to calibrate truck scales. Some days, I would be underneath the truck scale pounding steel and replacing worn pivots. After work, I would participate in weight training for at least two hours. I tried to eat healthy and needless to say, I was a picture of health.

One day, I noticed several lumps around my throat. I didn't feel bad, but I thought it would be wise to have a doctor examine me. He thought it would be best to remove them for testing and evaluation.

The week following my surgery, we contacted the doctor. He informed us that he had the results, but he wanted to have the nodules tested again. After three exasperating weeks, I was contacted by the doctor's office, and was asked to come in for immediate consultation.
I was surprised how quickly they ushered me into an examination room. Immediately, the doctor came in to talk to me. I remember his reaction so vividly, as he sat down beside me. He placed his hands upon his knees and dropped his head. After a long sigh, he told me that the nodules were tested at least three times for proof positive identification. He told me that the nodules were definitely malignant, and that I had Lymphoma Cancer. It was one of the most aggressive forms of cancer known. It spreads very rapidly throughout the lymphatic system of the body. I just couldn't believe what I was hearing, because I didn't feel sick. I was shocked when he told me that I had a life expectancy of two weeks and no more than six months. He said that chemotherapy might possibly extend my life for a while, but there were no guarantees. Needless to say, he left me with very little hope.

After sharing the test results with my family, I decided that I would follow the doctor's advice and begin my chemotherapy treatments. I was placed on the fifth floor of Herman Hospital in Houston, Texas. This floor consisted primarily of cancer patients. The chemo was to be injected every three weeks. After the second treatment, I felt as though my life was slipping away. At one point, I contemplated suicide, but that wasn't the answer.

Although I lost all my hair from the chemo treatments, I was still alive going into the sixth week. The thing that bothered me the most is that none of my friends came to see me, much less some family members. I guess they didn't want to see me in that condition or maybe they thought I was contagious.

I was at the lowest point of my life. I began to believe that God gave this disease to me for punishment. At this time, I couldn't even pray. I was resolved to the fact that it was my time to die.

Upon returning to the hospital for a third treatment, I remember holding my wife's hand as the elevator took us to the fifth floor of Hermann Hospital. I asked her a most pointed question, “Does God really heal today?" She answered me with an emphatic "Yes, I believe God heals today!" The weeks before, I didn't ask God to heal me because I didn't think I deserved it. I believe that my wife's strong faith in God had a lot to do with the decision that I made that day.

I ran to the nurse's desk and asked to meet with my doctors. When my three doctors came in, I told them that I was going home and that God was going to be my new physician.

They were extremely upset and they told me that I wouldn't live through the end of the year. Please understand that I do not advise anyone to walk away from their treatments. You should always pray and seek God in these matters.

Before leaving the hospital, I consented to some radiation treatments. I was supposed to take a least thirty-six treatments, but after six, I terminated all treatment. Because of the radiation treatments, my dentist informed me that I would lose all my teeth. Also, my saliva glands would dry up. At some point, I never allowed myself to entertain any more negative reports from my doctors, dentist, family, or friends. Don't listen to the "they say," crowd! I heard statements like: "They say people never make it past a year with that disease!" "They say that there is no real cure for that kind of cancer!" This crowd will have you pushing up daisies before daybreak!

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

According to our faith and His Divine plan, God chose to heal me. Two years after my diagnosis, I went to the University of Texas Health Science Center in Tyler, Texas for a physical. They couldn't believe my medical history because no one ever lived past two years with lymphoma in the 80's.

By the way, the year is 2009 and I still have most all my teeth. My saliva glands are overworked. I wake up in the night and my pillow is soaked. It's a little irritating having to flip my pillow over all night, but I can live with it!

God has a wonderful plan for your life. If you've tried things in life that never seem to bring peace and contentment, why not give God a chance? He been there all the time just waiting for you to look to Him. Man's extremity is God's opportunity to bless you beyond your wildest dreams.

Apparently, God had a purpose and plan for my life. Today, I write and publish books for the families of fallen heroes at www.fallenherofamily.com