One of the amazing things Jesus said to His disciples (and all of us), was “I call you friends”, John 15:15. I have had Prostate cancer for over 16 years and the past 3 have been increasingly challenging. However, I have been constantly lifted up by my family and my Christian friends!

This past Friday night a very dear friend and his wife stayed over. We laughed, we prayed, we talked. it was uplifting! Just in the past few weeks my oldest daughter came with 3 of her young daughters (they have 10 children) and stayed for a week with us. We went walking together in the park, they came before bedtime to kiss me good night and all of the children sent me colorful pictures. My two sons are always calling and checking on me and visiting. My youngest daughter, who is a mother and also attending college comes to visit with me whenever she has time. Just to be with her dad!

A number of wonderful Christian friends stay in touch, including my Christian mentor, a man in his 80’s who flew out from Colorado with his daughter just to visit with me! Recently, two friends I graduated high school with, drove down to see me and brought a home baked pie! Awesome!

One of my brothers and his fiancée came for several days from Florida just to do odd jobs and to cook meals, giving my dear wife a break! My sister and her husband spent several days last year doing all kinds of projects around the house we could not do and my older brother stays in touch constantly, even driving up from North Carolina to visit me!

A woman I have never met and her 3 children sent me an encouragement box full of 9 gifts to be opened one at a time and they all regularly pray for me! Amazingly, a pastor from Honduras calls regularly to pray and to tell me that the church there is fasting and praying for me! Unbelievable!

All of these loved ones, along with our church, warm and bless me and keep me going! You see, I realize that they are being “Jesus with skin” to me. He is loving me through family and friends and I haven’t even mentioned the loving service of my dear wife. I am blessed! I am surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses so how can I not run with perseverance the race that has been set before me, fixing my eyes on Jesus, who has gone before and finished the race? Hebrews 11:1, 2.

Pastor Terry