We were really looking forward to 2008 after the year we had in '07. It started out great. After my surgery in '07, we felt led to sell everything we own, buy a motor coach and travel to give our testimony. We contacted hundreds of churches and were invited to two. We went through a period where we were confused as to why more churches didn't seem interested but I also found out that I am not a great public speaker. I get so nervous that I can't hardly talk in front of large crowds. After much more seeking God, we were continuously put in situations to give our testimony on a more one-on-one basis. People were emailing and telling them how much this website was helping them and asking for prayer was well. We also found out another big revelation - neither Stephanie nor I were RVers. So, we decided to find another house as ours was long gone, settle in and enjoy life.

In January '08, we found the perfect little house and only a few miles of where we started out as a couple. We moved in around the first of February. While we were moving, I pulled my back somehow. It hurt pretty good but thought Icy Hot and Doan's would fix it. During this time, Stephanie had been having terrible gall bladder attacks. She had been having them since the previous August but just couldn't face a surgery after what I had went through a few months earlier. By February/March, the attacks were coming every day and lasting all day. Finally on April 15, she went to the ER. The surgery had complications but God heard our prayers as He always does. The surgeon went in looking for a marble sized stone but removed one almost as big as a golf ball. He told me she couldn't have waited another week. The gall bladder would have probably ruptured. Isn't it great how God watches over us even when we don't realize it?

During this time, my back pain was getting worse and worse. Nothing seemed to relieve it except for long hot baths. I could not walk standing straight up for more than a few minutes and had to bend over frequently. By May, I knew I had to do something so went back to my old doctor to see what was causing it. They did xrays of my back and at the appointment, he told me I had arthritis and some scoliosis on my spine. He suggested we do some bloodwork and said he would call with the results.

Two days later, I got the call with the results and felt like I had been sucker punched. I was told I was extremely anemic, my liver levels were slightly elevated and my CEA level which is used as a tumor marker and should be 0-3 for normal was 109.8! The nurse said I should get an ultrasound of my liver and see my oncologist immediately. At first, I didn't know what to think. I went into a sort of depression, was scared. Here I thought I had been doing everything right, believing in God for my healing, living my life the way I was supposed to, then why had this happened to me? Why was the cancer trying to come back?

Well, Stephanie and I had to take a long hard look at our lives. Were we not living to please God as much as we thought we were? We had tried to do what we thought was God's will in our lives. Didn't we buy the RV? Didn't we contact the churches to see if they were interested in our testimony? Didn't we pray every day and believe God was taking care of us? Yes, we did all these things but was there something we weren't doing? God was dealing with Stephanie about some issues as well. We had some hurt feelings a few months before with some family members and with all the stress, had decided best to just ignore the situation as it was too unpleasant. It was better to just shove it under the rug and hope it went away. Stephanie had been feeling really conflicted about forgiving the family that had hurt us. I was adamant that I did not want to be hurt again. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. God stepped in and this person phoned her and apologized for hurting us. We discussed what to do afterwards and even discussed the true meaning of forgiveness.

Since we moved into the new house, we had not started back to church. With my back pain and Stephanie's gall bladder attacks, we were really feeling bad so we would say every Sunday, we'll go next week. We'll feel better then. We have learned that these are little ploys Satan has to draw you away from the closeness of God. Well, after we learned about my blood tests results, we pretty much figured we needed to get back in God's good will. Something was wrong somewhere. We went to church that Sunday and wouldn't you know it, the sermon was on forgiveness! Yes, there were areas of our lives that we needed to clean up and when we asked, God was showing us. That morning, our pastor had the elders pray for me. That evening we had a guest evangelist. He preached on being unkind to others. Little things such as getting aggravated having to wait in line for people or getting angry over traffic and maybe yelling at the guy in front of you. He showed us that we really needed to have more patience for others and more compassion for everyone. Another lesson learned.

The last night, he called for people to come forward for prayer. I felt led to go forward. He came straight down to me first and prayed for me. He asked God to give me a blood transfusion. To fill me with new blood. At the time, this didn't make sense to me, but later on, I came to understand it. He also touched my back in the exact place it hurt and told me not to worry, that this sickness will only be a testimony for God. I felt the power of God rush over my body as he was talking and it almost brought me to the floor. I could feel the men on either side holding me up. I truly believe this too, that this will be a testimony.

I realized it was not God punishing me for being sidetracked in my relationship with Him. But I also realized that you must be in God's will before He will answer your prayers. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 1 John 3:21-22 (NKJ) The Bible plainly states we must keep his commandments and do things pleasing to Him if he is to answer our prayers.

Of course, satan is not going to just give up without a fight. While we were steadfast in believing for my healing for the second time, satan has many tricks to try and convince you that it's not working. In my case, the back pain was one. It was so bad I couldn't walk across the house without stopping to bend over. He has also tried to attack me in the form of an intestinal blockage. We are dealing with that right now. Last week I went to the ER. I had not passed anything through my colostomy in over 24 hours, my stomach was swelling to twice it's size and I could not keep anything down. We prayed and had others praying as well, and during the two hours we spent in the waiting room, I become unblocked. Praise God! Satan is still fighting me on it. I am still bloated quite a bit, but I am taking each day as it comes.

I know God loves me just as much today as he did last year when He brought me through it. I know that He will bring me through this as well. We have full faith in the fact that God is healing me. In fact, He already healed me 2000 years ago. By His stripes I am healed! I believe I wake up each morning knowing that God will be with me through the day and that each day is a gift from Him.

FROM STEPHANIE:
Up to this point, this was directly from Pat. Circumstances dictate that I am now going to finish it up for you so you can know the rest.

Pat was not only under attack with his health for the last two or three months but he was also under tremendous spiritual attacks. Right before he went to the ER as stated above, he made the decision to tell his family about his occult involvement years earlier. Since he was 7 years old and he tried telling his parents, he had never told anyone else besides me. He wanted to share with his family in hopes it would bring them closer to God. He told his sister and was in the ER just days later. It was purely an attack on his health as Satan did not want him telling how much stronger God is over evil. After he told his sister and daughters, he was not able to eat hardly at all after that. He would vomit everything he tried to take in. Pat lost a lot of weight in June. Never once did he give up his faith though. He read his scriptures daily, several times. He prayed continuously. While he was doing so, Satan continued to attack his body with pain and also with mental tormenting. There were times, the demons attacked so hard, they would try and take over his mind. We continued to pray over him and plead the blood of Jesus over him.

Pat was touching so many lives during this time. He had people in over 8 countries praying over him. People that had not prayed in years and years contacted us and said that they didn't even know if they remembered how to pray or if God would hear them, but they were on their knees praying for him. He touched lives wherever he went. Pat was all about JOY. He made people smile wherever he went. That was his gift. He could tell when a stranger was having a bad day and would do his best to cheer them up. He almost always succeeded. :) He kept his joy during this battle. Through the pain, sickness, torment. He never gave up. He kept saying, I am healed and I am going to give my testimony.

In July, Pat started vomiting blood. We took him to the hospital and they put an NG tube into his stomach to decompress it. The CAT scan showed he had tumors on his liver and that his kidneys were blocked. After 5 days in the hospital, they sent him home still partially blocked stating that he may need surgery. We took him to my parent's home so they could help me care for him. He continued to vomit enormous amounts of blood so after 2 days, back to the hospital. The doctor came in and told him that he needed to go home, take his morphine and be 'comfortable' for his last few days. Pat, always the fighter, absolutely refused. The surgeon told us that he had less than a 50% chance of making it off of the operating table if he chose that route. IF he did make it, only a 1 in 20 chance that they could do him any good and then he would still not live long.

Pat automatically said, let's do it. He didn't want to talk it over, he knew God would be with him. They took him in to surgery on Monday, July 14, 2008. He came through fine. When I saw him, he was giving me the thumbs up sign saying "see, I told you I'd be okay!". For some reason, the surgeon did not do the kidney splints he needed. His kidneys were blocked so on Wednesday, another doctor said he would do it. This was the last time I was able to speak with Pat. That morning, he told me that he wanted to go 'home'. I asked him what home and he said he wanted to go to Heaven, would I come with him? I choked on my tears as I told him that I was not able to go with him right then but if he needed to, he should go ahead. I would be there as soon as I possibly could. He told me if I couldn't go, then he would just wait on me so we could go home to Lead Hill. A few minutes later, he told me that he needed his armor. 'They' were getting it ready for him and he needed to put it on. He was ready for it. He had been reading the scriptures about the full armor of God.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Ephesians 6:10-18

Pat never woke up from that surgery. He was on a ventilator for four days and on Sunday, July 20, 2008, he was terminally healed. He went to be with the Lord. I held him in my arms as he breathed his last breath. Doctors and nurses alike were in tears at his farewell. Some may get to this point and ask, how do you get that he was healed when he passed away? Well, I have the full assurance he is in heaven. He had faith in God to the end. I also know that we will be reunited and it will be wonderful. The next time I see my husband, he will have no colostomy, no cancer, no pain, no tears. He is truly terminally healed.

I on the other hand seem to have no end to the tears. I thought the hardest thing I could go through was holding my husband in my arms as he breathed his last breath. I was so wrong. It wasn't the hardest thing. Waking up every day and trying to get through it without him is the hardest thing. I am in more pain than I could ever imagine, but at the same time, God has wrapped me in his peace and I know I will get through it with his support. Pat started a work on this earth. His testimony and faith has touched so many and continues to do so. I know it's up to me to keep his work going and I am dedicating myself to doing this. I will tell everyone who will listen (and some who won't!) about my husband's battle and how God brought us through it.

There are people out there that are under demonic oppression. Pretending it doesn't exist does not make it go away. There are those battling sicknesses like cancer. There is hope for them and Pat's life is proof of it. You can be delivered of it. Just put your trust in God and He will bring you through whatever evil that is coming against you. He will give you the strength to come through it, to walk your life's path and finally, He will reward you with an eternal life that knows no pain, no oppression, no tears.

Note: 9.20.08
God can heal in many ways and it is very important that we realize that. As humans, we forget that this life is not the ultimate goal, it's a dress rehearsal for the real thing: Eternity with our Saviour. Yes, Jesus is able to give our human bodies physical healing, but we also need to recognize (even when we do not want to) that he can also choose to heal us by taking us to Heaven to await our glorified bodies in the Resurrection. We see life in flat 1D perspective while God can see things we can't sort of like 3D perspective. He knows what will happen down the road and therefore makes the best choices for us even when we don't understand. I found this out and it wasn't a lesson I wanted, however, looking back, I can understand why He chose to take Pat to Heaven. I have even come to understand that it was in Pat's best interest even though it breaks my heart every day. I would rather have my husband healed in Heaven and have to wait a while to spend eternity with him then for him to be healed on earth and perhaps strayed from God where he would not have eternity in Heaven.

I wanted to add this because I know when you are sick or have a sick relative, the last thing you want to face is possible death. No one knows that more than me as I was terrified of it. Now I look forward to it because I know this is only a practice. The 'real thing' comes after we are with our Lord. I have an eternity to be with Pat, praising God's name.

   2008 updates

With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.
Psalm 91:16 (NKJ)