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OK – so I’m coming downstairs in an effort to get the kids’ teeth brushed quickly and in bed before 8:00 PM so I can watch one of my favorite TV Shows “Navy NCIS” … it’s like 7:50 … I come downstairs saying “brush your teeth” and my wife says “No, don’t brush your teeth, come downstairs”.

I’m thinking to myself, “what in the world is she trying to do here”? As we get downstairs, she has candles on the table and a nice cheesecake on the table with “10 years” written on it. Instantly, my mind races – “what I have I forgotten …. annivesary, no, that’s in August … birthdays … none of our kids … WAIT … I bet it’s Jag’s birthday …” (Jag would be our cat). Ashamedly, I have to admin – “May 9 – is it Jag’s birthday”? … and as the words come out of my mouth, it dawns on me … what this great day is all about.

REWIND … about 10 years ago. [note: although what you are about to read may sound superficial or supernatural, it's the truth, and it really happened!]

I’d recently moved here to Saint Simons Island and on this night, I encountered one of the most horrific, detailed spiritual episodes of my life. I was going to bed … nothing unusual … and my room got cold and dark. Within a minute or so, I began to feel as if I were dying – as if something … someone … was choking the life out of me. A terrible fear gripped me like I’ve never felt before. When I would close my eyes, I would see graphic images of my loved ones – dead, dying.

I began to pray. I got out of bed and paced the floor, praying in the Spirit – reading the Word of God out loud. Praying over my loved ones – crying out to God. The oppression was heavier and heavier. On into the night this went for at least an hour or more, until well after midnight, my phone rings. This is it … this is the “I’m sorry, ______ has died or been killed” phone call.

I answer on the first ring. Surprised, it’s Pastor Craig Walker, my former pastor and “boss” from Vicksburg, MS – where I served at New Life Christian Fellowship. Craig’s now living in Pensacola and he says “Fred, you answered on the first ring – I knew it – what’s up”? Craig goes on to say “The Holy Spirit woke Lezli and I up and told us to call you and PRAY”.

Well, we prayed … and prayed … and prayed. Finally, after about 30 minutes of prayer we both felt a release and peace. We reconciled that maybe this had something to do with our old church back in Mississippi, since we were both stirred together. I wrote in my journal that night “something is happening – I don’t know what, but something out there is happening, and I have to pray”.

FAST-FORWARD a few years later. Joy (my wife) has moved to Saint Simons Island, and although we’re “semi-dating”, she’s nowhere close to thinking of me as a husband. One night we were talking about spiritual things, and I shared this story with her. She said “it would be wild if that were in May”. I asked why … and she responded “well, you know – that’s when I was diagnosed with acute leukiemia”.

You see – before Joy was on Saint Simons Island … she was in Richmond, VA. She felt great, was teaching fitness, working full-time with a large engineering firm, but was troubled by serious bruises that kept showing up on her. She assumed her “diet” and “stress-level” was causing it, with some iron deficiencies. She went for what she thought would be a simple doctor’s visit for bloodwork, but what it revealed was the most serious form of leukemia … and her prognosis was not good. There was only a slight chance of survival with full chemotherapy and possibly bone marrow transplants … and with no treatments, she would die.

I jokingly said to Joy, who I felt strongly would be God’s wife for me … “Yeah, Joy, that would be wild … maybe I was warring in the spirit for the life of my future wife and didn’t even know it”. She brushed that off rather quickly.

Curious as I was – I went and found that old prayer journal. I opened the book, and there it was … “May 9″. I called Joy on the phone and asked if she could figure out when she was diagnosed … she didn’t need to research it – the date was and forevermore will be impressed in her heart. “May 9″ she replied.

An excitement rushed over me … because I knew that before I even knew about Joy, God had ordained her to be my wife, and when Satan came to “kill, steal, and destroy” her life, God allowed me to experience this spiritual battle first-hand and war for her life and even awakened one of my dearest spiritual mentors … a real “General” in God’s army …. to pray with me.

TODAY – (well, Yesterday) marked the 10-year anniversary of Joy’s diagnosis. She’s healthy, healed, and whole. We have 4 beautiful children, all born naturally without any serious complications. Joy was one of only a handful (if that many) of patients who lived on her entire floor at Emory Hospital in Atlanta.

Now – do you believe in the power of prayer?

Good going, baby! God wanted her around for me, for these kids, and wanted her dancing praises here on the earth a lot longer!

Forever grateful to the King,

Fred

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