That is a beautiful testimonial.

My own journey to this moment started when I was 14 and my cousin asked me if I though the idea of hell lines up with who I’d come to know God as. And I couldn’t say yes. She went on to explain that she had been doing reading and study into the true meaning of the word ‘hell’ and that she could no longer believe that it was Dante’s idea of eternal fiery torment. From there, over the years, I’ve take my own time to look and somehow I’ve come to this conclusion – something similar in the CU belief. And… as my own very young reflection of that – I’m experiencing a glow in my soul – almost like a sigh of relief – that I’ve only ever experienced in intense worship services. I feel so intensely that so much of what keeps people from fully practicing the greatest commandment “Love God and Love you neighbor” is this idea that ‘bad people burn in hell for eternity and my loving deity puts them there’. It’s a journey and a process but for the first time in years I feel like I’m on the right track.

I’m only 19, but I hope one day to have the sort of legacy you do Ted. To have a this conviction in God’s mercy and eternal love without a shadow of a doubt and to watch generations of people and children flourish from me because of it.

Thank you for sharing your experience and I could not agree more, as I had a similarly eye-opening experience a couple of years ago.

I was washing my hands in my bathroom one Wednesday evening after work, when I noticed a rainbow effect around the light bar above my mirror. I went downstairs to let my wife know what I was experiencing. During the conversation with her, my right hand went numb and what I was hearing myself say was not what I was attempting to say. I was attempting to tell her about “what was going on with my eyes or vision” and was hearing myself say “what was going on with my ears.” She told me later that I was speaking English but that it was complete word salad to the point where she thought I was joking… until she saw the expression on my face.

When I explained what happened to my Primary Care Physician that Friday, he advised that what I had experienced could have been something as simple as a migrane headache, as the symptoms correlate, or it could have been a mini-stroke, which of course they treat seriously and wanted a full work up. He had an EKG done in his office at 11:00 a.m., which came back clear and sent me to Franklin Medical Center for a CT scan at 2:00. I was advised of the CT scan results by my PCP at 3:00 p.m. that they had found a mass in my right frontal lobe and wanted to send me over to St. Joseph’s for a MRI.

By 5:00 p.m. my wife was with me in the ER and I met the Neurosurgeon who later took out the tumor. He gave me two options: One, that he could biopsy the mass and take it out later, though whether the tumor was benign or malignant with the issues I was having it would need to come out or… Two, he could take out the tumor, send the cells to pathology and in four to six weeks I would know what I had. With the former, I would subject myself to two brain surgeries and the latter just one. I really want to know who raises their hand and says “sign me up to cut into my head twice.” Pardon the pun but it was a “no brainer” and I elected to have the tumor removed & the cells sent to pathology to determine what it was. They put me on an anti-seizure medication to get me to the surgery on Monday, while they ran a 3D MRI so my neurosurgeon could determine what he was working with.

On Sunday, several of our Brothers braved hazerdous road conditions to visit me in the hospital and I also had a visit from the gentleman I have a weekly Bible study with prior to having dinner with my wife & children. Monday morning they prepped me for surgery and at 1:45 p.m. I woke up in post-op recovery. They sent me home to recover with my family that Thursday, three days later.

When the pathology results came back as a grade three tumor, equivalent to stage three cancer anywhere else in the body, I was referred to two oncologists who also both gave me two options. I could do nothing and there was a 100% guarranty the tumor would come back and brain tumors often come back worse than what they were. Having my wife and two children, who were four & two at the time, dependant on me I asked how aggressive I could be and completed 33 radiation treatments concurrently with an oral chemo therapy followed by six months or cycles of a double dose of the chemo therapy.

Long story short… I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason not coincidence and God does not allow us to be challenged with more than we can handle. As far as not believing in coincidence, it just so happens that in the month prior to finding out about the mass, my Bible study and I focused solely on the Book of Job, which helped prepare me, accept what I was going through and not to blame anyone for my condition. Since my surgery, I focus on the things in my life I actually have control over and do not allow the things outside my control stress me out. My surgery was over three years ago and I have been in remission 2 1/2 years. I count every day as a blessing and work to make the most out of each one. My life has been enriched as I focus on what is truely important.
Fraternally & in fellowship,

Theo Jones, PM

“For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angles nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We both praised our Lord and then prayed once more that our “LORDS WILL” will be done and that our hearts would be comforted on the matter. The lord is our Shepherd and his will is the final resolve.
His comfort is an eternal comfort……As his Lordship is eternal…..

Rod T

I will not belabor the ironies involved with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords living among the dregs of a brutal regime. I feel it needless to lament the pomp and pious pageantry executed by the power of such divine humility.

It’s been done more memorably by more illustrious thinkers and I need enjoy the chill sunshine of a post-Christmas day while planning a trip to continue my walk through Christmas with my family, blended and split in a manner of speaking.

Best Wishes to all and kindly light a candle for Rose Romney, my step-mother who suffered a catastrophic spinal injury in the opening hours of Christmas Day.

And Feliz Navidad, as her maiden name was Reyes.