"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5

In April of 1972, my dad was transferred to U.S. Coast Guard Air Station, Borinquen in Aquadilla, Puerto Rico. Four months later, on July 27, my sister Kathleen was born. She was and is a real blessing of the Lord to us! Soon after, seven months to be exact, the doctors were getting very concerned that I had not developed normally. They were not equipped well enough for the testing they thought was necessary, so they decided to send me to Andrew’s Air Force Base in Washington, D.C. to have me tested. This made it extremely difficult for my parents and I, especially my mom and Kathleen, when we had to leave her with friends while I was being tested for what the doctors feared was a form of Muscular Dystrophy.

"Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

After many painful and difficult tests, including a Muscle Biopsy, it was positively proven that I had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The doctors told us I would probably only live to be 15, but more than likely not too much longer. Two weeks later, we returned to Puerto Rico, only to realize that we were not only devastated by the terrible news of my diagnosis, but we were also devastated to see how it affected my sister. Such a young child! She had no idea why we left her. For all she knew, we were not coming back. This was an extremely difficult time in our lives!

"O God, have pity, for I am trusting You! I will hide beneath the shadow of Your wings until this storm is past." Psalm 57:1

In June of 1973, mostly because of my condition and the kindness and compassion of the U.S. Coast Guard, my dad was transferred to U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in New Orleans, Louisiana, where they were better equipped to handle my medical needs. When we got to New Orleans, we were put in touch with the New Orleans chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. They were a real support for us during these awful times in our lives. Despite the heat and high humidity, although cooler than Puerto Rico, it was really a wonderful place and was much better for my needs at the time. It was truly the blessing and provision of the Lord! He really started to move in our lives there.

In September 1975, I started Kindergarten. It was my Kindergarten teacher, who was instrumental in leading my family and I to the Lord. She had recently committed her life to Jesus and noticed that I was really struggling to keep up with the rest of the class. I was really starting to show signs of weakening and I was struggling to come to grips with my life. I was angry and was not afraid to show it. Believe me, I did! Put it this way, my favorite game was "Wipe Out". All I needed was a shelf full of toys and the palm of my hand. It was an extremely noisy game! How could the Lord allow this to happen to me? What did I do to deserve this? Why me? What Sin did I commit? It was an extremely difficult time in my life, as you can probably imagine. How can an adult, yet alone a five year old and his parents be expected to handle these situations with their own strength? Only by the Grace of God and the love of Jesus!

"His Grace is sufficient enough to keep us from falling..." 2 Corinthians 12:9.

In March of 1976, I was going through a very difficult time socially, emotionally, and physically in school. In fact, the doctors, thinking I was emotionally disturbed, had me place in a school for emotionally disturbed children. Children would stand up on my desk, right in front of me. Now, not only did I have to deal with my own physical difficulties, but I also had to deal with being placed in a category in which I did not belong. It was awful! Thank God it only lasted two weeks. I was then transferred to a regular classroom setting. I continued to struggle with my own battles, but at least now they were my own struggles and not anyone else’s.

"‘Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,’ says the Lord." Jeremiah 1:8

In April of 1977, the Lord, through the power of the Holy Spirit, spoke to me in my heart and told me to trust Him with my whole heart and life for He was going to heal me totally and completely. Many important people in my life, even to this very day have told me they heard the Lord say to them He was going to heal me. Some of them, at least seven that I can remember, including two just recently, have even had dreams and visions of me walking. He loves me! I trust Him totally and completely!

"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8

I have to admit, I have had a lot of times in my life when I let doubt into my heart and even gave up believing God’s word to me. I even stopped praying for my healing, mostly because I did not want to let myself become disappointed. I was afraid I would become angry with God. I have gotten mad at Him in the past and did not want to get mad at Him again. Well you know, when we realize we are upset with Him and our lives is not when He first finds out about it.

I realized God was waiting for me to come to Him and humble myself about not trusting His love. When I released my anger and disappointment to Him, He was able to heal my wounded heart and set me free. I was then able to receive the grace I needed to "let go" of all the false accusations I made against Him and ask Him to forgive me. He is a big enough God to handle our anger. This knowledge of Him has given me a great deal of freedom in Him. He is merciful and nothing can separate us from His unconditional love! The Holy Spirit then made it clear to me that unbelief and prayerlessness was just as sinful as anger and that I needed to repent and ask Jesus to forgive me. Then I need to forgive myself for believing the lies of the enemy. There are still many times when I have to repent of this same prayerlessness and unbelief and ask Him to forgive me. He is always faithful and just to do so.

In November of 1976, I spiked a high fever of 105°. Needless to say my mom was quite worried and very concerned for me, especially when she realized that there was no medicine in the house to control my fever. My dad was working in the garage at the time, so my mom ran out to have him go to the drug store and get something to bring my fever down. While he was on his way to the store, the Lord said to my mom, "Did you forget about Me?" So, my mom and I prayed and asked the Lord to bring the fever down. About five minutes after we prayed, she went to get the thermometer to take my temperature and it had already dropped from 105° to 101°. By the time my dad got home my fever was gone. Praise the Lord! He is close to us every minute!

"They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Mark 16:18b

My heart’s desire was to be able to attend First Assembly Academy in New Orleans, which was located at the church we had recently started attending. The Lord was really starting to move in my life and the public schools were not meeting my emotional and spiritual needs. I also wanted and needed to be with friends of like faith. Knowing my current grades were not adequate enough to attend this school, so my parents and I seriously prayed that the Lord would supernaturally give me the encouragement and scholastic ability I needed to succeed and that He would make an opening for me. In faith, we decided to apply the word of God to this very situation. God was faithful to me and I was able to meet their requirements and in September of 1977, I started the first grade at First Assembly Academy.

"If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." John 14:14

In November of 1977, I started to have a lot of trouble walking up and down the stairs. Unfortunately my class was on the second floor while the cafeteria and chapel were on the first floor, which meant I would have to climb the stairs six to eight times a day, which proved to be very difficult because someone would need to carry me up and down the stairs to get where I needed to go. One morning my mom and her Bible study prayed for the Lord to give me the strength I needed to climb the stairs. The Lord was truly faithful and I was able once again to climb the stairs. I was able to get to and from class without any trouble for the rest of the school year. Cool, Huh!

"He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:29-31

In April of 1978, while camping, a hot, flaming marshmallow was dropped on my sandaled foot. Although I sustained a third degree burn, the Lord took all the pain away from me. His power is real. Hallelujah!

"I am in pain and distress; may Your salvation, O God, protect me." Psalm 69:29

In May of 1978, after receiving thirteen inches of rain, causing major flooding, my mom, sister, and I, along with two friends of ours, ended up spending the night at school. The church itself had three feet of water in the sanctuary. We were concerned for our dad because he was off duty and we did not know for certain where he was. All we could do was trust the Lord for him. When we decided to trust Him, He gave total peace that our dad was safe in His hands. God still provided for all of us. The Lord not only protected us at school and our dad on the road, but He also preserved our house. This was an amazing feat because there was eight inches of floodwater in our house and ten inches in our garage. Our dad had to leave his car and walked about two miles to our house through waist deep dirty, snake infested water. When our dad arrived home, he noticed the gasoline cans we were storing in the garage floated on the water near the pilot lights for our furnace and dryer and our small dog up on a barstool. How in the world she got up there, we do not know. He protected her from drowning. As if that was not enough provision, after the water receded we were told we needed to replace all our insulation on the lower level. Also our car had been flooded and needed to taken all apart and dried out. So, again we prayed for the Lord to intervene. We had just recently, before the flood made reservations to go to Disney World in Orlando, Florida and were supposed to leave in a few days. Wouldn’t you know it! He supernaturally dried all the insulation gave my dad time to dry the car out. If the Lord had not intervened we would not have been able to go. Even though we needed to cover the seat with plastic garbage bags and cover the garbage bags with bed sheets we finally made it to Disney World. What provision! We had a wonderful time, especially on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. This would eventually prove to be the only time I could have gone before I could not walk any more. He cares for His own.

In August of 1978, my dad was transferred to U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Brooklyn, New York. At this point in my life, I began using a manual wheelchair and needed a school that I could get around easily and not be left out of the normal, day-to-day school activities. This was an extremely hard time in my life. I was only nine years old and could not understand why a loving God could allow this to happen to me. So, we moved into military housing in East Meadow, Long Island, New York so I could attend Human Resources School in Albertson. This was a state endorsed, privately run, school designed especially for children with only physical handicaps from Infant/Pre-school through High School. It was better equipped to meet my physical and educational needs. It was a unique concept, to say the least. Students had to have at least an average IQ level and an ability to learn. They really had a wonderful campus with tennis courts, soccer fields, and camping/picnic areas, not to mention a wheelchair accessible house to train their students to live independently in the real world. Best of all, was their after-school activities on Fridays where their students stayed after-school for fast food, swimming, floor hockey, and other activities. However, the spring or end of school year field and cook-outs days were wonderful, especially since they got me out me out of class.

"…‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

In September of 1978, while attending HRS, I began using a manual wheelchair to get around. I had increasing trouble keeping my balance and would fall down often. The doctors noticed when I walked I was placing most of my weight on my toes and decided that it would probably help me if I had surgery to have my heel cords lengthened. This would hopefully bring the heels of my feet down so I would distribute my weight more evenly on my feet. They had hoped this surgery would prolong my ability to walk. Unfortunately, it put an end to my ability to walk completely. I was now totally confined to a manual wheelchair. At least I was not falling down all the time. Looking back, I know the Lord was with me, but I was only a child and did not understand nor did I see His hand of protection on me. I became very discouraged with my situation.

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

Just two short years later, I was at the point where I required the use of an electric wheelchair. While using a wheelchair made my life a lot easier at school and at home, this confinement narrowed my outside world considerably. Now, when we wanted to go out on the town, not only did I need a specially equipped van to get around, but we also needed to establish that the destination was wheelchair accessible. Everything had become very complicated and often very disheartening. In my child like thoughts, I blamed New York for having to use a wheelchair. Of course, it was the Lord who brought me there. Thankfully He is very forgiving towards His people.

HRS was a wonderful school, academically speaking, but because I was filled with the Holy Spirit I sensed a dark, crooked, "anything goes" mentality for these Physically Challenged people. It was disgusting! At times, it was an extremely difficult and painful time for a very outspoken, opinionated young Christian child, such as myself, mostly because I liked to talk about Jesus. Jesus and His Word was, and still is, the most important thing to me, for which I was soundly rejected. I often told the other children that Jesus promised me He was going to heal me and was mocked and ridiculed for it. I know now I was very "Politically Incorrect".

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:10-12

"Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow… My life is consumed by anguish… my strength fails because of my affliction… I am a dread to my friends. They see me and flee from me. I am forgotten by them as though I were dead… For I hear the slander of many… they conspire against me... But, I trust in You, O Lord; ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies…" Psalm 31:9-15

During those days of "small persecutions", although they seemed huge to me at the time, the wonderful music of Amy Grant was a great comfort to me. My faith in the Lord was really put to the test by the persecution I experienced. I was especially touched and encouraged, even to the point of tears, by a song on her "Never Alone" album, entitled "That’s the Day". It basically said, "In a while we’ll be gone, and we won’t have to cry any more, all our sorrows left behind, and that’s the day that I am longing for." I could not have said it any better myself!

"…Let Your loving-kindness comfort me, just as You promised. Surround me with Your tender mercies that I may live…" Psalm 119:76-77

In September of 1979, I was really struggling with Spelling. I could not spell even simple words. It was dreadful! My average grades were around forty percent. We were and still are a family of faith, so we prayed about it. By the end of the school year, I was averaging ninety percent. Later, during my high school days, other students would ask me how to spell. God is faithful! Even in the "little things" or at least things we think might be "little" to Him. His love is amazing and far above our comprehension.

"Again, I tell you ‘if two or three of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.’ For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:19-20

In May of 1980, while waiting to get on the school bus, I rolled off a three-inch curb backwards, tipping over my wheelchair onto the concrete parking lot, nearly cracking my head open and falling out of my wheelchair. Even though my head was not protected in the natural. I was not hurt, not even a bump or scratch. The Lord supernaturally placed His hand of protection on me that day. He truly is my protector and sustainer! He is a shield for me! My glory and the lifter up of my head!

"Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Psalm 91:9-12

Around the same time, I was dealing with a great fear of fire. It stemmed from a then recent fire, which happened in a nearby apartment in the base-housing complex we were living in. This fire totally destroyed the apartment. I had many nightmares about it. Some were so intense that it actually felt real. Now deep down, I knew the Lord was with me but I was terrified of them. I did not know how I would ever get rid of this fear. My mom and I did a Bible study on the subject of fear to find out what the Lord had to say about it. I found out that fear was the opposite of faith and thus, this fear was hindering my walk with the Lord. We decided to pray for the Lord to take away my fear. We prayed in accordance with the Word of God in Matthew 18:18a, where Jesus says, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven" He totally delivered from the spirit of fear. Hallelujah! He is true to His word.

"‘I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’" Matthew 18:18

One example of comic relief would be when my mom hit a curb and threw me out my wheelchair while trying to push me across a busy street near our home in New York. Thankfully I landed in the grass! It was not very funny at the time, but now my family, friends, and I can look back on the situation and laugh. Another amusing story is when we would go into a restaurant, especially when we sat in a booth; there was not enough room to reach the table. The best way to solve this situation was to take my foot rests off. More often than not, the waitress would ask us "Is there anything I can do for you?" One of us would often say "No Thanks! I’ll just take his legs off." This would usually freak the waitress out and help her to relax.

"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy… A cheerful heart is good medicine" Psalm 126:2, 5 and Proverbs 17:22a

In June of 1981, my family and I along with our Long Island church, Massapequa Christian Community Church, went to Bible Camp at Tuscarora Inn and Conference Center located in Bethel, Pennsylvania at the scenic Delaware Water Gap. At this wonderful camp the Lord healed me from the terrible headaches/seizures I used to get since I was about three years old. At one point, the doctors still had me on Phenobarbital, a drug commonly used to treat and control "Epileptic" seizures. When I would get one of those terrible headaches, I would usually throw-up then sleep for about two hours. When I would wake up the terrible headache would be gone and I could go on with my day. It was as if it had never happened. After the Lord healed me, even to this very day, I never had a bad headache like that again! Prayer really does change things! By the way, Tuscarora was very graceful and kind in granting me permission to put this famous painting (painted by Leonora Thomassen of East Hanover, New Jersey in 1952) on my new website, for which I am truly grateful! This wonderful painting of a shepherd reaching over a mountain cliff to save one of his lost sheep, depicts the unconditional love of Jesus. It is still hanging up in the Olsen Gymnasium at Tuscarora Inn and Conference Center.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, your youth is renewed like the eagle's. He executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed." Psalm 103:1-6

Another miraculous event that happened at this wonderful Bible camp actually happened to my sister and her friends from the children’s youth group. My friends and I were in the main auditorium with the rest of the young adults youth group. After the service the children’s group had to walk from the snack shop to the main auditorium, which was approximately three hundred yards. At this point it was raining very hard, so they decided to pray for the Lord to stop the rain. Well, He did not actually stop the rain completely, however, they decided to start walking. From the moment they stepped out the door until they arrived at the main auditorium the rain never touched them. Not one drop! Even through it was still raining all around them, they were completely dry.

"With God, all things are possible to those who believe!" Mark 9:23

In July of 1982, my dad was transferred back to U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in New Orleans, Louisiana. We had lots of fond memories of New Orleans and we would be moving back into the same house we lived in previously. Our very good friends, who were instrumental in leading us to Christ, were still there. This made for an easy transition. It was good to be back. After all, the Lord started moving very powerfully in our lives while previously in New Orleans. My sister and I attended Shiloh Christian School, a small spirit-filled Christian school of eighty students, which was about three blocks from our house. I was the only student in the whole school in a wheelchair. I thought I was hot stuff driving my wheelchair back and forth to school every day. Even though some minor street flooding in New Orleans put a damper on that idea from time to time. Or did it? After all, I was a big shot, reckless, and even daring teenager at times!

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…" 1 Peter 2:9

In July of 1983, the Lord blessed me through the "Make A Wish Foundation"  with an all expense paid trip to anywhere in continental United States I wanted to go. I chose to go with my family to New York and visit my former church family. The "Make A Wish Foundation" not only paid for the round trip airfare, hotel room, and travel expenses, but also supplied us with extra daily spending money. They "blessed our socks off". We had a wonderful time of fellowship in the Lord with our family from Massapequa Christian Community Church. This again, was the blessing of Lord in His awesome timing for my family and me.

"I will bless those who bless you… and through you will all the peoples of the earth will be blessed." Genesis 12:3

In December of 1983, the severe scoliosis I had developed earlier began to get worse and worse and we knew something had to be done about it. Since the back brace they made me was not working, the doctors, my parents, and I decided the best course of action was surgery. At this point, the curve in my back was 105° and getting worse. I was originally was scheduled for surgery in April of 1984, but because it was progressing so quickly and because of my age, 14, which is the age a persons bones fully mature, the surgeons decided to move it up to February. So in mid-February they proceeded with the newly developed Luque Rod procedure. The surgery went very well and the doctors were able to correct the curve in my back from 105° to 50° and because the hospital was experimenting with the recently invented Tens Unit, it was remarkably less painful than I expected. Even my doctors were amazed. The Lord was with me. I believe He personally took some of my pain away, but I believe He also used this recently invented device for my benefit. If the surgeons had waited until April to do the surgery, the experimental study would have already been terminated. This was just another example of a divinely appointed provision of Lord to me. He is faithful and His mercies are new every morning!

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lament. 3:22-23

In June of 1984, my dad retired as a Lieutenant Commander, after twenty-four years in the U.S. Coast Guard and we moved to Lowell, Michigan, a small town near Grand Rapids, Michigan, where my parents were both born and raised. We still had family in the area and wanted to be closer to them. Unknown to us at the time, the Lord had told my Grandmother, who was an awesome woman of faith, He was going to bring all her children and grandchildren home to her. One of my aunts and her entire family had just recently, in March, moved back home from Australia. When we moved back home in June, the prophecy the Lord so kindly gave her was fulfilled.

"Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth…" Isaiah 43:5-6

A few months before my parents went to look for land they took a serious look at their financial situation. They then separately prayed and asked the Lord what they could afford. They both came up with the same amount then trusted the Lord to supply the land for that price. When they eventually went out to look for land they found a real estate company and picked up a list of properties for sale. Not finding what they wanted from the listings, they decided to just drive around until they found something in the area they wanted to build their house. Just before they decided to call it a day, they came across a small 2"x6" sign tacked to a tree. All it said was "Six Acres." After finding out who owned the land, they called her to find out her asking price. She wanted considerably more for the land than Lord had said. My parents made an offer for it. She said she could not possibly go any lower than a certain amount, which was the same figure they had decided on previously. This was a total conformation of the Lord’s wonderful provision and my parents were able to buy six acres of beautiful, partially wooded land with rolling hills in their decided price range.

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37:4-5

In August of 1984, I was driving my wheelchair around our property, following closely behind my sister who was pulling an open trailer behind our tractor. Well, I was not paying attention and I guess I got a little too close. When she stopped quickly, not knowing I was behind her, I ran full force into the back of the trailer. At the time, my footrests had those prefabricated stirrups on the back of them to hold my feet on them. When I hit the trailer with my right shin, my foot was pressed up against the stirrup on the right footrest and I bruised my shin and severely sprained my ankle. Ouch! Needless to say, I was in a lot of pain and really felt sorry for myself. My family felt really bad for me, but did not know how to cheer me up. The next day my mom was looking through the paper and came across an advertisement for upcoming concerts, one of which was Amy Grant. As you know from earlier statements, Amy Grant was one of my favorite singers. We bought the tickets the same day and in October we went to the concert. It was wonderful! All that was missing was her autograph, however, because it ended very late and we had an hour drive to get home my parents decided to give a few more minutes. Just as we were about to leave, she came out. Not only did we get her autograph, but we also got our picture taken with her. She also kissed me on the cheek! I did not wash my face for a whole entire week!

During the last few years of her life, my grandmother had been dealing with the affects of Liver and other various types of cancers. At one point her doctor, who just happened to be a Christian, decided to remove the cancerous part of her Liver, which was over seventy percent. When he brought this up to his colleagues, they said, "We would have never touched that woman", but the Lord had other plans for her. She lived for three more years after this very risky surgery. Less than a year after her whole family was brought back home to her and after fighting a very courageous battle with Liver Cancer, my grandmother went to be with Jesus. She was a real blessing of the Lord to us, especially me, and was truly a woman after God’s heart. Before she died the Lord was very gracious and kind to me. He allowed me the opportunity, in a smaller measure, to bless her and minister comfort to her, just as she was a comfort to me many times before. I remember staying with her, at her bedside while she was in the hospital. I was only sixteen at the time and I did not have any inspiring words, either from the Lord or of my own accord to say to her, I know just being with her was a great comfort to her. This truly was an honor and a blessing from the Lord to me. Not to mention the fact, my grandmother was very close to death, yet in all, my mom still trusted me enough to leave me alone with her.

"O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for You. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress." Isaiah 33:2

In September of 1984, I started attending Ottawa Hills High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was not too crazy about getting up between 5:30 and 6am to catch the bus at 7 in the morning for an hour and a half ride to school. For the first two years I had a hard time finding a reason to keep my grades up. I was not very motivated to study and lacked the vision of the Lord I needed. To tell you the truth, I did not even pray about my attitude, which would have helped. Now as I look back, I realize I was just a teenager who was really struggling and grieving over the losses in strength and ability I had to deal with during the course of my life up to that point. To have to deal with loss after loss was not easy for me and really tried my faith in the Lord. To have the knowledge but lack the physical strength to complete the tasks I had been able to accomplish in the past was very disheartening to say the least. How would I ever be able to make a living on my own? Would I ever amount to anything or I make a real difference in this world?

"I will restore to you the years the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, My great army which I sent among you." Joel 2:25

The Lord was merciful to me and I had a tremendous breakthrough from my feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness in April of 1986, near the end of my sophomore year when I took a field trip to Kent Skills Center, a vocational high school. Their philosophy was to treat their students as adults, unless proven otherwise. While there, I was first introduced to Computerized Accounting. I felt a hope rising in me for my future, even though my high school teachers discouraged me saying, "You will not be able to handle the workload". My newly found enthusiasm, combined with my current teachers saying made me even more determined to trust the Lord and accomplish the goal He set before me. Despite the discouragement, I started my junior year taking Computerized Accounting at Kent Skills Center. I was attending Kent Skills Center for half the day and Ottawa Hills for the other half.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

While at Kent Skills Center, I heard of the "Outstanding Student of the Year" award. In order to be eligible for this award I would have to maintain a 4.0 GPA during each marking period in Computerized Accounting. This now became my goal. I found an excitement in learning and working toward a goal I felt I could accomplish in Computerized Accounting. Toward the end of the third marking period I noticed I was coughing a lot and was not feeling very well. I was scared because I was having a difficult time breathing, but did not think much about it. Despite this fact, my family and I decided to go to the mall to do some shopping and get something to eat. After we finished our shopping, we got in the van to go home and it did not start. Being out in the weather did not help matters at all. I never dreamed I would get Pneumonia8. I never had it before and did not know what to expect. As it ended up, I was very sick and was hospitalized for two weeks. By the grace of God, despite this set back I was able to maintain my grades at Ottawa. While I had to "burn the midnight oil" for a couple of nights, I was also able to make up the required work at Kent Skills Center necessary to bring my grade back up to a 4.0 before the marking period grades were finalized, which made eligible to receive the "Outstanding Student of the Year" award. I then went on to receive this award in my second year. To receive this award required me to maintain a 4.0 in each marking period during the school year. My teachers nominated me for the "Outstanding Handicapped Student of the Year in Vocational Education" award for the state of Michigan. I remember it very distinctly. I came home and said to my mom, "Guess what, mom! I was nominated ‘Cripple of the Year’." I cracked her up royally! Two months later, I came home to say, "Its official! I won the ‘Cripple of the year!’ award" I would officially receive this award at a lavish educators banquet in Lansing, our state capital, in mid-November of 1988. Thanks to the Lord and those great teachers who actually believed in me, I was able to bring my overall GPA up from about a 2.0 and in 1988 I graduated with a 3.25.

"Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

In August of 1988, I started attending Grand Rapids Junior College, now Grand Rapids Community College, majoring in Accounting with a minor in Computers. I was greatly encouraged when my grades improved after my transition from high school to college. My overall GPA in high school was 3.25, but thanks to the Lord’s help I was able to make the Dean’s List with a 3.8 in my first semester. Now, the Lord and I were in total control of the classes I took and when to take them. It was wonderful to have a certain degree of freedom and independence, although physically limited. My aspirations of becoming a Certified Public Accountant did not pan out and by this time my muscles had deteriorated to the point that I was no longer able to use the normal computer keyboard. I thought my other dream of working with computers was also over. One of my good friends from high school, who was in a similar situation, told me about Michigan Rehabilitation Services. They had helped him in the past with assistive technology that ultimately gained him meaningful employment. He thought they would be able to help, so we made an appointment with them. They were very helpful! Not only did they find a keyboard that would work for me, they paid for it. Believe me, it was not cheap! Now I was able to get back into the computer classes, which I so enjoyed.

"And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matthew 21:22

The Lord’s hand of protection has always been very real to me, sometimes even tangible. I have gone through many frightening situations during the short course of my life. In October of 1990, my family and I went to the airport to pick up my sister. She was coming home from Oral Roberts University for fall break. Being that it was cold out, I had my coat on. Somehow my coat got caught on the joystick while I was on the wheelchair lift in our van, three feet off the ground at time. Before we realized it, my wheelchair drove full force off the lift! What a ride! Now, I have been driving up ramps and out onto lifts since I got my first power wheelchair back in 1982. I am basically fearless about it, never giving it a second thought most of the time, rather just trusting in the Lord’s protection. Fortunately, I landed square on my tires and was not physically hurt, although my mom was in tears. The hand of the Lord was surely on me that day!

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’" Psalm 91:1-2

The doctors had no clue what the Holy Spirit was about to do. He was about to pray through me and help me through this very serious and life-threatening situation. My mom was in my hospital room talking with my dad about whether or not I wanted to go on the ventilator, when he heard me, as he put it, "babbling". "Is this normal for him?" He asked my dad. My dad did not know exactly how to answer him. You see, I was not consciously praying or even speaking, but rather it was the Holy Spirit praying through me. Even if I was at a point where I could pray, I am not I would have been able to pray very effectively, at least not as effective as the Holy Spirit did. Our flesh tends to get in the way of our prayers, thus making them less effective. A prayer straight from the Spirit of God has nothing to get in the way is very power weapon through God and avails much. Remember, 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds." The Holy Spirit knew exactly what I needed to survive this major life-threatening situation. I am completely and totally convinced the Holy Spirit sustained my life that day and breathed life back into my weakened body. If it had not been for the Holy Spirit, living in me and praying through me, I would not be here still today! When I came to, the doctors told me my only real viable option was for them to do a Tracheotomy and to put me on a ventilator. I felt like the Lord had more for me to do in my life and it was not my time to go yet. He wanted me to stop feeling sorry for myself and to trust Him and allow the doctors to put me on the ventilator. He had never given me a reason to doubt Him in the past! So, why would He start now? Thinking I would be on it for only a short period of time, I decided to trust Him, although I was very reluctant. Truth be known, I was scared to death! Pardon the pun. When I finally decided to give up my pre-conceived ideas and to trust Him, He gave me peace I needed. It would not turn out the way I had hoped or thought it would. The Lord gave me the grace I needed to change my mind about the going on the ventilator and to deal with this awful situation. His Grace is Sufficient!

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me." Psalm 23:4

In January of 1992, I was finally able to leave the hospital. I had been weaned off the ventilator to the point where I only needed it to sleep at night. This would allow my lungs time to expand fully and gave them a chance to be rested for the next day. Although a very difficult adjustment, this was not the hardest part of the ordeal. Now not only would we need a lot of medical equipment at home but we would also need to have nurses come into our home at night to check on my equipment and help me with my personal needs, such as turning, getting a drink of water, going to the bathroom, and if necessary, suctioning. This would allow my parents to get some much-needed sleep at night. It quite awkward at first and took some time to adjust to this new way of life. I enjoyed my independence at night, now I had to adjust to having to rely on nurses to help me with everything. The fact that my needs were currently being met helped a lot, at least for now. The insurance company agreed to pay for twenty-four hours of nursing care for the first two weeks. It was then reduced to twelve hours a day for the next two. Then they dropped it down to eight hours a day for another two weeks. After that stating that it was "custodial care", they reduced it to their current rate of two hours a day, five days a week.

"My God shall supply all my needs, according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus." Philip. 4:19

One of the hardest things to deal with was the fact that I could not talk while on the ventilator with a cuffed Trech. My mom with the help of one of my nurses made a cardboard communication chart with the some commonly used words and the entire alphabet on it for me. It made a tremendous difference in my life. However, it took a lot time to communicate and was a very difficult time in my life. With the help of one of the wonderful respiratory therapists at the University of Michigan Hospital’s Ventilator Clinic, we finally found out I could get by with a cuffless Trech if we would turn up the ventilator volume to compensate for the volume loss around the Trech site. I was finally able to talk while on the ventilator at night again. No more chart. I did not even have to click my teeth for my nurse anymore Hallelujah!

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lament. 3:22 & 23

In March of 1992, we were only receiving two hours a day, five days a week. This was totally inadequate for our needs. Some friends of ours knowing our situation, and knowing that I was receiving Social Security benefits suggested to us that we call the Department of Social Services to see if they could help us. DSS referred us to the Family Independence Agency. FIA was very helpful and agreed to pay a certain amount of money per month to help us hire and pay someone from off the street to come into our home and work at night. This would allow my parents time to sleep. They even helped us place the ad in the local newspaper and interview potential helpers, one of which is still with us today.

"I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised…" Psalm 18:3

Not long after this FIA program was implemented for us, the nursing agency through which our insurance providing started having trouble filling our shifts. In we went almost a year without coverage. One morning while my mom was about to start getting me up, she heard a knock at the front door. Unknown to us it was one of the nurses from the agency who had come to fill the two-hour shift. A total shock! She was a Godsend! I no doubt the Lord sent her to us.

"I waited patiently for God to help me; then He listened and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1

In 1994, a close friend of hers had just recently started Health Care Associates, a Christ-centered nursing agency and he offered her a job. Not wanting to leave us in the lurch, she asked us what we thought about changing over with her. Seeing as she was the only one covering our shifts anyway, we decided that we would change agencies and go with her to this new agency. This was a great move for all involved. First of all we were finally able to get all our shifts filled. Second, they had a wonderful and very supportive Christian staff of nurses. The hand of the Lord was clearly visible.

"You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:13a & 14

In October of 1997, at the age of 28, I acquired the Chicken Pox, of all things, from a child at my church. At the time, I was a Sunday school helper and was around a lot of children. Could you imagine anything so horrible than to itch and not be able to scratch it or do anything about it? Anyways, the Lord was with me even during that awful time. In fact, the Holy Spirit, in His loving and compassionate ways, gave me a personal Word of Knowledge. He specifically told me that "I would not itch anymore" and He totally delivered me from that terrible itch. I still had to deal with the Chicken Pox, but at least the itch was gone. Thank You, Jesus!

"…If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you." Exodus 15:26

In January of 1999, we were really hurting for coverage and needed to hire some new helpers through FIA, but because of the shortage of nurses and the economy we were unable to find anyone. Our social worker found through the grapevine about a program through another state department that might be able to help us through a professional nursing agency. After a year of red tape, it was agreed that we needed help and Thresholds would help us. We desperately wanted to stay with HCA so, HCA and Thresholds agreed to work together. They then wrote up and signed a contract for services to be rendered and by March of 2000, we had the needed coverage. It has been a real blessing to family and I. When Lord heals me things will certainly change, but until then I know God will continue provide for all my needs.

"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him." Mark 11:23

In October of 1999, despite the fact that I was sick with a terrible cold and was having a difficult time breathing, my mom felt impressed by the Holy Spirit to go on a prayer journey to Ephesus, Turkey, an ancient biblical city ruins and the birthplace of Christianity and the first century church. This was the place where the Greeks, in Acts 19:34, praised and worshipped the Greek idolatrize god, Diana for about two hours saying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" Knowing this would be a history making Worship and Intercessory Prayer gathering, my mom decided to trust the Lord to protect me and keep me. I certainly did not want to stop her from going and fulfilling the plans and purposes of God for her. This was not easy for us to do. We would really need to trust the Lord. If He calls you to do something for Him, He will give you the grace and the peace you need to complete it. He will always provide for our needs if we trust in His word. He did not bring us this far to leave us. This group of over four thousand Christians including apostles, profits, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, as well as, intercessors, which my mom was a part of, would be gathering together to tear down the strongholds this idol worship brought on the region and bring restoration to the kingdom of God in this now desolate region of the world, especially since the huge earthquake earlier in September that killed thousands, through prayer. They would be praising and worshipping Jesus for over four hours in the same amphitheater the Greeks worshipped Diana in the book of Acts.

"Those who trust in the Lord are steady as Mount Zion, unmoved by any circumstance. Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds and protects His people. " Psalm 125:1-2

In July of 2001, I found myself needing the ventilator more than just at night, but also most of the day. This was a very difficult transition for me. Now I was even more dependent on other people, not only did I need somebody to be with me at night who understood how the ventilator worked, but now I needed the same during the day. At first I was very reluctant go out with the ventilator on me because of how I looked and what other people would think of me. I also had a little fear of riding in the car with it on. I did not know if it would stay on me or fall off and hurt me. I did not to put any more added pressure and stress on the people who cared for me than was already there. Again I was in another place in my life where I had a decision to make. Was I going to trust the Lord and the people around me or was I going to give up? I decided to trust Him, as well as the caring people in my life and I know He has rewarded me for it. He has always been there for me, even when I was not there for Him. He is a friend who sticks closer to me than a brother. He is my sustainer and my reason for living. He is literally the air I breathe! Assisted of course!

In September of 2001, The Lord called us out of our current church at the time New Life Christian Fellowship, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to help our former Children’s Pastor start a new church, Honey Creek Community Church, in Lowell, Michigan. It has really been an exciting time to see the hand of the Lord on this awesome endeavor the Lord had given to us. The Lord is answering our prayers! I never thought the Lord would, or could, use me, in this process. I could not been more wrong! What made me think that He could not use me? After all, He has used a donkey before! I am extremely blessed to have a family, both my immediate family and my church family, who believes in me. I am currently in charge of writing the Weekly Church Bulletin and if there are any other tasks I can do for them on my computer at home I am usually available and willing to do them. Eventually, I will be helping with keeping the church website up to date.

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13.

Just recently, In September of 2002, The Lord put on my heart, to start my own website, to bring the Love and Compassion of Jesus to those, like me, who have to live from day-to-day with life threatening diseases. It is not always easy to lay aside self-pity and doubt to help others, but the grace of God is made available in a greater measure than we think is possible. When we get our eyes off of ours selves the Lord will be able to lift our eyes off our current situations. The scripture makes it clear to us He gives grace to the humble and He will restore strength to all our flesh, be it spiritual or physical. The word of God is the only real answer! Jesus will faithfully comfort those who are disheartened. Yes, even you!

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:3-4

Since the Lord has given me the idea of starting a website, I have heard of and even contacted many others with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, who are of like faith. This has been quite encouraging to me. I believe this is a real conformation of the Lord to me. Since my early grade school years I have always had a hard time relating with others in my situation. First, because I was too arrogant and focused on myself to see their pain they were in. Second, I did not know any other Christian with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy who I could relate to. Unfortunately, when I started high school, instead of reaching out to them with the Love of Jesus, I just shutdown and kept my mouth shut, when it came to sharing my faith, because I thought it would be much easier to keep silent and be respected than to risk being hurt and rejected. Either way, I did not handle myself correctly. Even though, unlike my grade school years, I did not any enemies to speak of during my high school and college years. I did not pray or listen to the Lord to find out how He wanted me to handle the situation. After all, He is the one who gives me strength and sustains my life.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1

Muscular Dystrophy has affected nearly every aspect of my life. I have had many rough times, but by the grace and mercy of God I always managed to get through them. Although it may have taken a great deal of effort, I hung in there and did not let it get me down. I have to admit I have had some days when all I wanted to do was give up, but usually by the next day, with God’s help, I was more willing and better equipped to deal with the problem. I have to admit I have also had many great times in my life, including some moments I would consider funny. I try to focus on the good and not the bad, what I can do not what I cannot. God is in charge of my life and I trust Him completely. He has not let me down yet, and I know He never will.

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast." Psalm 139:7-10

Well, I am now 34 years old and still kicking! Not bad for someone who was not supposed to live much past the age of fifteen. What the devil has meant for evil, the Lord will turn around and use for good. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Jesus has His hand on all aspects of my life. He told me He was going to heal me and I totally believe He will bring it completely to fruition. A bumper sticker I had on my wheelchair said it best, "God Said It! I Believe It! And That Settles It!" I am truly thankful to Him that He has the last and final word. Doctors are only human and do not have all the answers, but Jesus does. My main goal and enjoyment in life, with the Lord’s help, is to share the Love of Jesus with broken people, as myself, whose only hope is Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!

"I shall live, and not die, and declare the works of the Lord." Psalm 118:17

"What I have in God is greater than what I don't have in Life."  Max Lucado"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Andrew VanBelkum

April 20, 1969 – Until He Returns!

"Verily, verily, I say to you ‘Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’" John 3:3

Then:

Dear Jesus,

I believe You are the Son of God. You lived a perfect and sinless life, and You died, on the cross, for my sins. I admit, I am a sinner and I ask you to forgive me. I thank you for forgiving me. I accept you as my personal Savior and Lord of my life. Come into my heart, today. I promise I will follow You all the rest of my days. Thank You, Jesus for saving me. In the most Precious, Holy name of Jesus, I pray. Amen!

If you are physically unable to attend a church, do not fret about it. However, if you can, it is better to be around a fellowship of believers. The Bible says, in "Do not forsake the fellowship of the saints." So, find someone you can talk to about your, newfound, life in Jesus! Just remember Jesus did not come to condemn you, so do not allow anyone else condemn you. Just because you go to church, it does not mean you are a Christian; no more than living in a garage makes you a car. The Lord is merciful and He knows your heart! He will by no means cast you out. He loves us, even more than we could love ourselves! We are all precious in His sight!

"There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1