JOSH

Hello friends. How's the world treating you? I get asked this all of the time. If life is going good...the response is usually pretty good. If life sucks...the response is some grumble, whine, or just a shake of the head.

Many moons ago...when I was a member of COURTSOUTH RACQUETBALL CLUB...there would be a man who came in who was a motivational speaker. He believed in the PMA (Postive Mental Attitude). I was ask him how he was doing and he would say...SUPER FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was at 6:00 A.M. Nobody is super fantastic at 6:00 A.M. in the morning. I was not going to let him out do me. One day...when he least expected...I asked him how he was doing and he gave me the obligatory SUPER FANTASTIC. All of his teeth were shining...he was shaking my hand vigorously...and then as he had me in his positive grip...he said, "How are you doing?" Instead of my obligatory..."O.K."...with all of the gusto that I could mutter...is blew him away with...."ASTRO DYNAMIC." BAM!!!!!! I trumped his super fantastic...with my ASTRO DYNAMIC.

The picture see...is one of the star pupils in the RUMINATOR SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS. His name is Josh. Locally...many people have seen Josh in the news...and knows the story of his troubles..family, physical, emotional, financial, etc. In the face of all of the crud (Christianese for crap)...that he has been through...Josh is one of the most positive people that I know. NOTE: He is a teenager...he has his moments like all of us...he ain't perfect....however...what separates the P.M.A. of others...is his F.A.I.T.H. (faith) in the D.B.R. (death, burial, resurrection of Jesus).

Josh continues to need our prayers. He is currently dealing with a bad case of stomach flu. He is not able to keep foods down. He is losing body mass. His current heart medicine is not working. He may have to go back on previous heart medicine that impacted kidney function. He needs a kidney transplant. He may not be a candidate for this transplant secondary to medication difficulties. There are problems with absorption of food resulting in the body mass loss. What would you be saying?

I watch Josh as he dances on the Men's Dance team at church. I see him in the Ruminator Sunday School Class, faithfully...even when he is not feeling well. I watch him worship God with a passion. I've prayed for him when he has problems. I hear reports of his faith from others as he reveals that if he dies...he is ready. What would you be saying?

He is surrounded by fantastic family support...a loving church family...he has support from where he works...BUT he needs our prayers. We may be SUPER FANTASTIC...or ASTRO DYNAMIC...but my friend Josh...is FAITHFUL...in the good times and in the bad times.


Rodney