From the Mailbox

Winter 1997

Dear CHM:

Some time back I asked you to pray for my friend's son, who had a malignant brain tumor. I just talked to my friend, and she reports that they can find no malignancy or tumor at this time. Her son had surgery earlier this year, much treatment and many prayers along with (those of) your prayer team, and I wanted you to know that a miracle has happened — his prognosis was not good, but now the cancer is gone!!! Praise the Lord!!!

Please keep him on your prayer list, as the doctors do not feel he is out of the woods yet — his type of tumor has a high incidence of recurrence. I don't wish to be a Doubting Thomas, I just want to keep soaking him with prayers that his healing continues.

Many thanks for all of your prayers and support. Christ's Peace!

Dear CHM:

Reading Dr. MacNutt's Q&A column in the fall 1997 issue of The Healing Line, I agree that the term "codependency" has lost its meaning. Originally, many years ago, it was a technical term used in addictions counseling which meant that the sufferer had vicariously become dependent on the substance/behavior of addiction through close association with the addict. It meant that the spouse, child, employer or friend spent much of his or her day thinking about the addict's relationship to the addiction, planned his or her life around the addiction, and became just as vulnerable to the destructive addictive process as the addict. The term was never meant to refer to the healthy interdependency essential to human relationships. Keep up the good work!

Dear Christian Healing Ministries:

In February, 1991, I was diagnosed with advanced metastatic prostate cancer with mets to the bone. The prognosis was inoperable and incurable. They could begin a hormonal treatment which would give me time to get my affairs in order. In addition to the hormonal therapy, I began a very aggressive monthly chemo treatment using interferons administered by a clinic in South Carolina. Traveling from my home in Clearwater, Florida to South Carolina brought me through Jacksonville every month for over three years.

Until my cancer, I was a typical "church attender" who did not know what a personal relationship with the Lord meant and was turned off by the term "born–again Christian" (as I had never read the Bible). My cancer made me realize I had a need. I was blind, but now I see (Romans 8:28).

My wife and I were encouraged to attend a CHM conference in Jacksonville in May 1992. That was the most spiritually uplifting four days we had ever experienced. After that, I made a point to plan time to visit the CHM office each month for prayer as I traveled to my chemo treatments.

You have not seen me in over two years as a local oncologist has agreed to supervise my interferon treatments. This saves me from having to drive to S.C. every month. What a blessing!

My cancer is still responding to treatments. Be assured the laying on of hands is continuing at my local men's Bible study.

A special thank you to my wonderful CHM prayer warriors!