I know it is hard to believe, but those three old guys along side me in the picture above were classmates of mine at Ozark Christian College! (Just kidding about that old thing, guys!)
We recently had a small reunion at Baker's Catfish House just north of Muskogee, OK. Our wives were with us and I've got pictures of them, too, but they all look so good, that including them would really make us look old!
From left to right is yours truly, Phillip Walton (a preacher in San Antonio, TX), Sonny Scott and Dan Wilson (a preacher in Bixby, OK.)
The picture on the left is a close-up of our dear friend Sonny Scott from that same evening. On the right is a more recent picture of Sonny with another friend from college, George Williams. Sonny has been undergoing some heavy duty chemo and has lost that beautiful head of hair he always had. George doesn't have an excuse! Actually, George shaved his head in a show of friendship when Sonny lost his hair, but I'm not sure how much hair George had to start with.
I love you, Sonny! But, I'm not shavin' my head!
Actually, I think Sonny looks pretty good with his head shaved - a little like actor Woody Harrelson - don't you think?
Sonny discovered right around the first of the year that he had cancer of the esophagus and stomach and had surgery in which they removed almost all his esophagus and about half his stomach and made a very small esophagus and stomach with what was left of his stomach. He, also, underwent chemo at that time.
Everything was going well, until about a month ago when a PET scan showed two spots on the back of his stomach and a more recent test showed four other spots.
Sonny is in the midst of 12 weeks of chemo and radiation.
I want you to join me in praying and believing that God will supernaturally and miraculously heal Sonny! The God we read about in the Bible and His son, Jesus, while here on earth, was a God of miracles - a God of healing - and my Bible tells me that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow!
I know that God will heal Sonny one way or the other. Either he will be miraculously healed, as we are praying, here on earth to God's great glory - or he will be ultimately healed with a new body in heaven.
The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:21 "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two; I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body."
Sonny said the other day "Either way, I win!"
Sonny's life has been one of "fruitful labor" as a minister of the Gospel and one of Oklahoma's most progressive prison wardens. He even gave the okay for this old outlaw to go into prisons to preach the Gospel! And, I have a feeling that Sonny still has a lot more to accomplish before God calls him home. So, while it would be better for him to be with the Lord now, I'm praying that God will be gracious and that Sonny will be with us for a long time to come as a living testimony to the fact that God is still doing miracles today!
I have two other friends going through similar trials with cancer and I'm going to ask that you also pray with me on their behalf.
Cheryl Thompson is a wonderful Christian woman, wife, mother and grandmother! She is a member of our church and the grandmother to two of my families favorite young men, Kyle and Kory Miller. Christian young people today are under constant attack from every side and it can be really tough on the ones striving to live a life which reflects Jesus Christ. It becomes even more difficult when Satan has the opportunity to whisper in their ear "If there really was a God, how could He let something like this happen? You might as well not even bother praying because God's not going to answer." I know with all my heart, that God has great things planned for both Kyle and Kory, but right now, those boys still need their grandma and I know that they need to see a miracle from God and so I'm praying as much for them as for Cheryl. When you get as far down life's road as I am, you can look Satan in the eye and say "I know my God is able, because I've seen Him do miracles again and again and again, so even if He doesn't do one now, I'll trust Him still." But, when you are just 16 years old, your faith is not supported by that foundations of miracles and it is far more easily shaken. Join me in praying for Cheryl, and also for Kyle and Kory.
Jo Burchett is a long time friend of my wife, Sheila, and has been like a grandmother to our daughter, Savannah. Jo has been battling lung cancer for the past few years and I'm going to ask you to pray for her, as well. Jo's husband, Tom, is also one of our favorite people and it would do that old cowboy a lot of good in a lot of ways to see his dear wife miraculously healed.
You pray - and I'll pray - and I'll keep you posted!
Love in Christ Jesus,
Jim
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