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| Thwarted My Brush with Death Thanks to Your Prayers |
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To my MyChurch friends... I love you!
The past few weeks have been a roller coaster ride of sickness, emergency room visits and just feeling like this is the end. But it was not to be thanks to all of your prayers!
Three years ago on April 1st, I was diagnosed with MELAS, a fatal hereditary disorder with no known cure. It is similar to muscular dystrophy. MELAS is a maternally inherited disorder and no one on my mother's side of the family has lived past 55 years old. I'm 51...
A week ago, right before April 1, 2008, I was hospitalized with a staph infection in a gland in my neck that just about closed off my throat/airway and the artery feeding one side of my brain. During the weeks leading to that, I've been having bouts with confusion and sickness. Sort of ironic now that I look back on it all being my third anniversary of my diagnosis. It's the devil's way of saying "I'm still after you" and the Lord's way of reminding me not to give up the fight. At least I know who is ultimately victorious. Thank you Jesus!
Since diagnosis, I believe that I have reached more lost souls in my online ministry than I had since launching it in 1999. I believe that God had given me new direction in 2005 to reach out to terminally ill folks like myself. Of course, if you are a Christian, being terminally ill just means that you are that much closer to living a life of eternity in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you are not a Christian, being terminally ill generally means that you are acutely aware that your life as you know it is about to end. Folks seem to pay more attention to what you have to say when their life is on the line.
Since "MELAS" is such a rare disorder, those searching for information on that disease have a good probability of coming across my ministry. I am also affiliated with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF) where I am an ambassador for those organizations to folks local to me. Overall, God has given me a whole new field of ministry in a field that is ripe for harvest with "ears" that are more willing to hear what you have to say. God is good!
Anyway, I just wanted to post a quick blog to thank you all for your prayers. They have been answered and I am still here to run the race (even though I am actually rolling to the finish line in my wheelchair)...
I love you all!
Dave |
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| To add a comment to "Thwarted My Brush with Death Thanks to Your Prayers" |
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| April 04, 2008 |
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| PASTOR DAVE, I CAN NDERSTAND EVERYTHING YOU SAY BUT I FEEL INADEQUATE TO RESPOND FULLY, BLESS YOU DAVE, I LOVE YOU MAN! STU |
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| April 04, 2008 |
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| We love you Dave!! Welcome Home~ |
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| April 04, 2008 |
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| Praise God Dave is back! And I am thrilled to find that this recent bout has not affected your ability to write great blogs! |
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| April 04, 2008 |
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| Dave,we have missed you.Glad that you're back and will keep praying for you.Keep on reaching those lost souls for Jesus.Love yah. |
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| April 04, 2008 |
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Thank God for His encouragement through one another!
1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 1:4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 1:5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
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| April 05, 2008 |
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aman dave
i be praying for you my brother just reach out and except the healling
god bless
you
tim |
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| April 05, 2008 |
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| So glad you are feeling better and back with us. Praise the Lord! |
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| April 05, 2008 |
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| ?.... |
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| April 05, 2008 |
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| Dave!! I second Sue's comment above! Plus I continue to send prayers and love! |
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| April 05, 2008 |
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Hugs to you Pastor Dave, it is good to hear from you. Keeping you in my prayers
Love in Christ
Denise |
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| April 07, 2008 |
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| Thanks again for everyone's prayers. The doctor says I still have 3 to 4 weeks of recovery ahead of me (minimum) from this staph infection. I still have a lot of bed rest ahead of me but it is nice to know you all are praying for me. God bless you all! Dave |
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| April 08, 2008 |
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| Prayers for you as you heal from this infection. May God continue to use you to reach others. |
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| April 08, 2008 |
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Glad to have you back, Pastor Dave - and I just wanted to add that reading your message above, it rekindled (or reminded, or rejuvinated) in me the fact that when THIS LIFE and it's troubles - physical, mental, emotional, financial - are over, we know we're coming out on victorious. God bless you and your family and ministry! |
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| April 08, 2008 |
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| Father we come in unity to you and you said in your word that when two or more come together in your name that your will will be done. Father we ask that you cover Dave with the healing blood of Jesus. As any new thing comes into his life I ask that you remind him that he is in the cleft of the rock and under your wing. Father we ask that nothing new enters his life. Close the doors you want closed and open the window of blessing in his life. We ask for the peace that surpasses all understanding. Envelope him in your love. In Jesus name, |
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| April 08, 2008 |
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God is not ready for you yet - He still has things He is needing you to do while here - How great is that!!!!! Lord just pour out your Love and healing on Pastor DATM - He is such a blessing to all of us here on Mychurch. Thank You Lord - in Jesus Name |
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| April 08, 2008 |
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| So good to see you back! |
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| April 08, 2008 |
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Another Crisis: Once again I thank you for your prayers and once again I am in the need of prayers again. This has been one terrible roller coaster of a month!
I went to see my doctor as a follow-up from my hospitalization and had yet another "MELAS" associated attack; right there in his office (that's a good thing). Needless to say, paramedics were summoned via 9-1-1 and I made yet another trip to the hospital's emergency room. I am home now but my wife is just about at her wits end from all of these close calls. I am tired too; emotionally and physically. Just totally worn out. Thanks again. |
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| April 09, 2008 |
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| Praying for you Pastor DATM - may the peace of Jesus be with you |
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| April 14, 2008 |
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Another Crisis: Bam, bam, bam... Three strikes in a row but, thanks to our Lord, I was stll standing (well, actualy siting). On our day of the Sabbath, I spent the entire morning throwing my guts up once again. This time, I pleaded for my wife to not delay in calling 9-1-1 but she did not place the call with the Holy Spirit's leading. A few more hours of that nonsense and I was DELIVERED of this brutal virus. Almost as fast as it came it went.
Thank You Jesus!
As I sit here on Monday, April 14, 2007 using my new laptop, I thank God for seeing me through yet another illness and see how everything lines up. Just when I would be ordered to more bed rest, a Dell D600 laptop was given to me at no cost! My friends at an off-road 4x4 club in Maryland pooled their hard-earned cash towards a laptop. What an awesome God we serve! |
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