Welcome back my friends and family!

This journey continues on—Thank God!

There’s a wonderful quote from one of my favorite historic leaders–Winston Churchill. He stated this famous quote back when he and England’s backs were against the wall. He said, “If you’re going through Hell, keep going”!

My sentiments exactly. For those of you going through any type of Hell whether its a health issue, a relationship challenge, or a financial tsunami never give up and never give in!! I don’t care what it is your mental attitude to all challenges is critical to what outcome you can expect. The mind and tongue are powerful things. The Bible talks about the power of the tongue. In Proverbs 18:21, the Bible says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof”. To me, this means that whatever we speak out loud moves from our mouth to our heart, then on to the brain. If we speak negative things we can expect negative results. Conversely, if we speak out loud positive, life giving words it works just the opposite. Typically, positive fruit will be sown and enter into our heart and mind. I cannot express to you how critically important and essential this type of “word speak” is to a persons life. In fact, each one of us should be speaking life over our family—spouses, children, grandchildren, siblings, etc. It’s especially critical when we are dealing with heavy things in our lives as I mentioned earlier in this text. Another great quote from Sir Winston is the following one that I shall never forget—“This is the lesson: never give in. Never give in, never, never, never, never—in NOTHING, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the ENEMY”!

In my case the enemy is more than flesh and blood. It is the Prince of Persia (Satan) and his angelic evil minions. If you think this is foolish and ridiculous then you have been blinded by the enemy. The Bible talks about a battle. We are in a battle of good vs. evil, of principalities that we cannot see of the Spirit world. You can bet that Satan and his minions want you and me to fail in everything we do. The Bible talks about this spirit battle in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. You see the devil comes to “kill, steal, and destroy”. His only mission is to keep Christians (especially) from being fruitful. In sickness, Satan wants us to give up and give in so that we cannot be a testimony to the wonderful life in Jesus Christ. It’s his sole mission in life—kill, steal, destroy in any way shape and form. He wants us to blame whatever terrible thing that has happened in life on God.  But, in my humble opinion, that is the wrong tree to bark up.  In my case, it’s this SUCKY CANCER! But through the grace and power of God and the Holy Spirit I WILL NOT YIELD TO HIS DESTRUCTION. I will trust in the Lord with all my heart and not lean on my own understanding, in all my ways I will acknowledge Him so that he will direct my path.  

Yes.  This takes blind faith.  But what is faith that you can see?  Not faith.  In 2 Corinthians the Bible says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” It doesn’t take a ton of faith to believe in something we can touch, feel, and see.  But it does take faith to believe in something we cannot see.  You see, faith is like the wind you cannot see it but you can feel it and hear it in a strong breeze on our face.  Or, in the rustling of leaves due to the wind.  We can see the results of wind in the tree tops above as they sway too and fro on a windy day.  We can’t see the wind itself, but we know its there because of the effects it has on objects all around us.

Just as there are 9 fruits of the Spirit in Galatians, there are 9 gifts of the Spirit.  They are as follows:

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

So what does this all mean to you and me?  It means we have great HOPE in the Lord Jesus.  It’s mean he will never leave us nor forsake us.  Once you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit (The Advocate) indwells you.  You have the power of the resurrection in your life.  This is what sustains me daily.  To know that the greatest power of the Universe is on my team.  A teammate I can talk to in prayer and walk daily with Him through scripture, His word.  What a blessings!!

Update:  I had stem cell therapy about 10 weeks ago.  So far I really haven’t felt the positive impact of it but I believe (in faith) that it is working to strengthen my immune system. I haven’t had any scans because I need to wait 12 weeks until I introduce yet another round of scans.  As I mentioned in my last blog pain is a constant companion.  However, I do not take opioids.  They make me sick and nauseated.  So, I went through the states process to be able to use medical cannabis.  It has been a Godsend because it helps me sleep, alleviates pain, and makes me hungry which is a HUGE plus as I have lost 25 lbs since stage IV came around.  I would imagine that I will be getting scans sometime late June so I’ll be able to give you a more specific update in a few weeks.

For now, my favorite Bible scripture (among various healing promises) is found in Psalm 118:17, “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.”  I speak this verse out-loud with confidence many times each day—positive speak.

Stay tuned as I will be back at the key board to bring you further updates very soon.

As always, if you would like prayer, to talk about the Lord or just touch base don’t hesitate to contact me either by email or phone listed below.

So long for now, but not farewell!!

All my love and prayers!

Craig Giles, aka Papa G.  tcgiles@hotmail.com.  612-804-5630.

I find it interesting that the word “REST” is incorporated in the word “WRESTLE”. One word represents complete repose or respite. The other word imply some sort of physical activity in which there is no rest. In Genesis 32 there is the story of Jacob wrestling with a heavenly being—an Angel of God, or God himself. Jacob continued this wrestling match all night just to be blessed. He was persistent. God encourages persistence in all areas of our lives, including the spiritual. Where in your spiritual life do you need more persistence? Strong character develops as we struggle through tough conditions. This is where Jacobs persistence paid off. He would not let the heavenly being go until it blessed him and his family.

In the end, Jacob does what we all must do. He confronts his failures, his weaknesses, his sins, all the things that are hurting him . . . and faces God. Jacob wrestled with God all night. It was an exhausting struggle that left him crippled. It was only after he came to grips with God and ceased his struggling, realizing that he could not go on without Him, that he received God’s blessing (Genesis 32:29). 

What we learn from this remarkable incident in the life of Jacob is that our lives are never meant to be easy. This is especially true when we take it upon ourselves to wrestle with God and His will for our lives. We also learn that as Christians, despite our trials and tribulations, our strivings in this life are never devoid of God’s presence, and His blessing inevitably follows the struggle, which can sometimes be messy and chaotic. Real growth experiences always involve struggle and pain. It’s in Jacob’s story we can easily recognize our own elements of struggle: fears, darkness, loneliness, vulnerabilities, empty feelings of powerlessness, exhaustion and relentless pain. 

I know this has been true for me. I have experienced tremendous growth personally and spiritually since being diagnosed with stage 4 Renal Cell Carcinoma. Fighting cancer is not for the “weak of heart”. My experience has been one of total faith in God. I don’t believe I could fight this disease without the saving grace of Christ and my persistence of looking to him and his word to guide me every step of this journey. I believe God wants me to be well. Also, I believe Satan (who rules this physical world) wants to steal, kill, and destroy. My vision has gone from an Earthly one and all its materialistic trappings to a supernatural one. In my opinion, the things of God should far outweigh the things of man and we need to grasp the saving grace of Jesus Christ in our life so that we can live a blessed life and live on into eternity with our Lord.

Frankly, I’ve been going thru another health setback. I have a fractured 7th rib which was the result of radiation treatments to that specific rib. There is disease there and we wanted to kill any future growth. The problem is that the fractured rib isn’t really healing because there are holes in it due to the disease and treatment. But, I could always live with it as the pain level was always under 4 or 5. That is until I contracted Bronchitis. Have you ever injured a rib then tried NOT to laugh or cough due to the extreme pain it causes? The excessive coughing exacerbated the pain in the rib so much I could hardly standup. In fact, I found (and continue to find) I have to sit down often to alleviate the pain. I am now able to do more things thanks to a ZEE pack and additional rest.

I had two scans on December 14–bone and C.T. The good news is that there has been no or very little growth of disease since August. There is still the rib issue and a slight growth in the C3-4. I COUNT MY BLESSINGS and thank God for these results. The next step in my treatment is stem cell vaccines. This is where they take new born stem cells (live birth Mothers consent as never would I accept aborted baby cells as I stand against abortion) and combine them with my cells. Then, they create a vaccine to inject in me over a 6-8 week period. Currently, I am taking IV C and Myers Cocktails (the medical type :->) to boost my immune system and prepare it for the vaccines. The goal here is to make is so my body cannot grow circulating tumors making my body “tumor proof” in a sense.

The problem is that I cannot take the vaccines until my body is fully recovered and my white blood cell count improves. So, I need your prayers to get me to a point I can take the vaccines.

In all of this my hope continues to be in the Lord even if I don’t see the manifestation of my healing here on Earth. Because of what Christ did for us on the cross and the fact I submit my will to the Lord as my Savior I will spend eternity with the Lord in Heaven!! But, hold the phones, I am not throwing in the towel. As Willy Jolly the inspirational speakers says, “A setback is a setup for a comeback”. My HOPE springs eternal in Christ!!

The following is what I need prayer for:

1. Pray my white blood count goes up to above normal levels.

2. Pray that I would never come to the point of being so frustrated with all these setbacks that I want to give in and give up—I come against giving up in Jesus name.

3. Pray that my healing would manifest here on Earth—miracles and wonders still today. Never forget that.

4. Pray that God would use me in a MIGHTY way. I yearn to see as many people as possible give their life to Christ so that they can experience GLORY!!

I thought that it would be appropriate to end my blog by listing a few of my favorite scripture. They are as follows:

John 14:6, Jesus said to them, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Psalms 92:12, The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to those that love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:1, There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

I thank you for your prayers and support. As always, feel free to contact me should you have any comments or questions regarding my blog. If there is anything I can do for you I would love to help in anyway. Just call or email me. I would love to share with you the natural things I am doing to beat this disease as well as to pray for any of your needs.

All my love and concern,

Craig, aka Papa G

Tcgiles@hotmail.com

612.804.5630

Hey everyone!!

It’s great to be writing to you once again! I love keeping in touch with you all thru my blog.

I would like to bring all of you up to date regarding my recent (last week I had one CT Scan and two MRI’s. One for the cervical spine and the other on my thoracic spine) test results. I am praising God for the success we have had regarding the radiation treatments on my cervical spine—the disease is retreating. YAY God! Thank you Lord for this good news! This retreat most likely is due to the radiation treatments as well as the Immunotherapy drug (Cabomytxx) I am taking. I was on 60 mg a day but that dose was causing me horrible problems relative to eating, nausea, and vomiting. So, we cut it back to one 60 mg pill every other day. This has helped tremendously. I had gone from 205 lbs down to 184 lbs in 6 weeks. The fatigue I experienced due to the radiation and the pill along with no appetite really put me in a tale spin relative to my weight. I am now back up to 194 lbs.

My reality is that pain is a constant companion. I find myself fighting through pain EVERYDAY. The treatments they have done on my cervical spine has caused soreness and stiffness on a daily basis. But, no complaints here!!  I am happy to be taking “air and nourishment” as well as thanking God that it isn’t any worse than this. Remember, things can ALWAYS be worse than what you are currently experiencing.

The Summer has been “the calm” that I wrote about in my last blog. I had a very challenging Jan-April with a broken right Humerous bone and subsequent surgery where they surgically installed an eight inch titanium plate—I now know how the bionic man felt!! 😉

We had a chance to buy a boat this Summer. So, we bought a 32 foot cruiser. Terry and I felt that we should live life to the fullest by making memories on the river. So, that’s what we have been doing. It has been wonderful to be out in the fresh air and sun. We laugh, we entertain friends and family and we have had a fantastic time—-a far cry from what we used to do each day (sit around and talk about medical stuff (so depressing). Another lesson that I’ve learned in this journey is that one must focus on the positive and bright side of things in life. If you focus on what’s wrong in life you will get what you think about most. In the words of Zig Zigler, “you become what you think about most”. So, friends you need to do every thing within your power to fill your mind with positive thoughts. The Bible tells us to “take every thought captive”. Do not let your mind waver or drift off into bad “what if” scenarios. As I have mentioned in every post I focus my thoughts on health and healing while I indelibly place God’s Healing scripture in my head and on my heart.

No matter how you believe or what you believe in (I choose to believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour) you must consider what will happen to you after earthly death. Will you go to Heaven, or God forbid Hell?  After all, we all face this inevitable ending. Jesus tells us in the Bible in John 14:6-7 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.  This means we all have to make a conscious decision to either follow the one true God (Jesus) Or, to suffer the consequences of our sins. Don’t delay. Take the opportunity to follow JC and inherit the kingdom of God.

There is a great story in the book of Joshua chapter 10 about how our mighty God made the Sun Stand Still so that Joshua could finish off the Amorites. The scripture that explains this is Joshua 10:12-13. It says, “On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon. So the sun stood still and the moon stoped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. If God can slow down the entire world of 6.6 sextillion tons of spinning gravel and water to give Joshua victory over his enemies, what makes you think that God won’t do what ever it takes to give you victory over the enemy of fear, worry, self-doubt or sickness? He still does miracles today! As long as our God is real the possibilities of miracles is real!!! Never stop praying to the God of the Universe.

What’s next?

I have two MRI’s coming up for the cervical spine and thoracic area. These are the areas that most of the disease has migrated to. I get Xgeva shots every month to strengthen my bones while working to kill the disease any where it migrates to the bone. I’m not going to lie. I get weary fighting this battle which is why I need prayer support constantly. At times, the evil one works on my mind to get me to give up. He does this through chronic pain and medical bad news. I find myself working tirelessly to control my thought life as well as to ward off toxins due to the Immunotherapy drugs. Remember, if you are taking Chemo or Immunotherapy the drugs cause side effects that you MUST get out of your body. You can do this through coffee enema’s, Far Infrared sauna’s, eliminating EMF’s, and working with naturopathic doctors. They can help you detox your body (liver, kidneys, pancreas, etc.) which will cause you to feel better due to your organs working as if you were not taking drugs. Also, these methods will help you better control inflammation which of course is one of the main causes of pain.

A great resource for this is Chrisbeatcancer.com, Cancertudor.com, Dr Axe, and others.

If you have any family/friends that are going through cancer treatments I would love to share some things I have picked up along the way as well as pray for them if they would like.

As always you may reach me at tcgiles@hotmail.com or 612-804-5630.

Remaining totally UNDAUNTED by trusting the Lord and all his promises!!

Blessings and all the best,

Craig, aka Papa G

This heading is a bit odd you say to yourself.  Well, I agree.  Typically, its “the calm before the storm”.  However, in my case its the exact opposite.  I have experienced a 3 month period where the storm was all around me—the fractured right humorous bone, the 5″ tumor behind my C2-C7 cervical spine, the lesions in my left 7th rib, the left illiac, the extreme fatigue from radiation and the targeted immunotherapy pills, and a very sore neck from too much radiation.  Yet I remain confident our God will restore me to my original health.  I do not doubt the Lord.  The Bible tells us in James 1 verse 6-7: “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.  Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord”.  This scripture really spoke to me as I have been going through what has been the most painful time in this cancer journey.  Notice I didn’t say “my cancer journey”.  I am not taking this on as my own.  The disease belongs to Satan and I refuse to accept it from the being that wants to kill, steal, and destroy. 

I have a faithful friend that continues to send me articles regarding suffering, encouragement, and healing.  In this particular case she sent me a 6 page article from Pastor John Piper regarding suffering.  This specific article talks about suffering from a Christian’s point of view.  The Bible passage that Pastor Piper uses in his article  is Hebrews 12:12-17.  Let me share it with you. “Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.  Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.  See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.  For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.”

Notice the word “therefore” at the beginning of this passage in verse 12.  This means that what we saw last week in verses 3-11 is part of the basis for the exhortations in verses 12-17.  The main point of last weeks text was the pain and trouble you are experiencing is not a sign of hatred of God, but the love of God.  Verse 6: “Those whom the Lord loves he disciplines.”  Your persecution is not a sign of God’s treating you as enemies but as sons.  Verse 7: “It is for discipline that you endure; god deals with you as with sons.” Your suffering is NOT MEANINGLESS, but designed for your good and your holiness.  Verse 10: “He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness”.

As you can see if you are a believer and you are suffering all is not lost.  In fact, you will be looked upon in a greater way from a Heavenly perspective.  God’s Goal for us Is Deeper Faith and Holiness.  So here is the sum of the matter:  Hebrews 12:1 tells us to run the race of the Christian life no matter how hard the course.  To that end, lay aside every encumbrance and every sin.  Pursue peace.  Pursue holiness (notice He doesn’t say happiness)  Don’t let your suffering discourage you and make you fall or tempt you to leave the race track.  Don’t forget that in all your suffering your Father is in charge and loves you and designs for you and in you the very things he is calling you to pursue.  Don’t be like Esau who would not lay aside even a single meal, but traded away his soul.  There is a boatload of good information in John Pipers resource called, “Fail Not to Obtain the Grace of God.”  Feel free to google it for your own edification.

Next steps:  I will forever believe Jesus wants to heal me.  So I will continue to seek Him through all pain and suffering.  Instead of focusing on the symptoms of the disease I will focus on his many promises of healing in the Bible.  In June I will be getting a cervical MRI to check the tumor and a C.T. Scan to check if there are any nasty lesions lurking within my body.  On June 2nd I turn 60.  I am looking to make it to at least 70 because in Psalms God tells us that we will live 3 score and 10 more.  Even longer if you are good to your parents.  (Its Mother’s Day this Sunday be sure to be good to your Mother!)  I continue to pursue a personal relationship with our Lord as I long to be closer to Him. The only way to get closer to Him is to read his word and be obedient to His commands.  If there is anything you can do to live a better life it is by accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior and repenting from our sin.  I cannot share anything more important that this message—the Gospel of Christ.  The point I am attempting to make is that you do not have to be alone in your suffering and your life challenges.  As a Christian we are not guaranteed a trouble free life.  In fact, Christians can expect troubles.  However, our Lord tells us that he will “never leave us or forsake us”.  He will stand beside us in our infirmity.  His support may come in many different ways–through faithful friends and family,  doctors, pastors, priests, etc.  He will make His presence known.  Trust me.  I have been leaning on Him for 10 years through this crappy disease. I have been blessed beyond belief in so many ways in my life even in my infirmity.

I long to help others with their suffering.  If there is anything I can do for you please contact me via email or my cell at 612-804-5630.  I will be happy to pray for you over the phone.  Come on just take the step forward.

Living to glorify the Lord!

Craig D. Giles, aka Papa G.

tcgiles@hotmail.com

 

 

Kind of a crazy heading don’t you agree?  What does this mean, “sitting in God’s waiting room”?  In short, it means that it doesn’t matter how fast (or slow) I desire for my healing to take place ain’t nothing going to rush or push our God of the Universe.

Every believer needs to know that since the New Testament and the new blood covenant that Christ created for us by his death and resurrection we are all healed—his death defeated Satan and sin as well as provided healing for us.  Given that fact we are covered by the blood covenant I  believe I am healed.  Now, my job is to wait upon the Lord for the MANIFESTATION of that healing.  This will take place either here on Earth or in Heaven.  My desire (Duh) is to get the manifestation of my healing on Earth.  Remember, once we Gentiles were grafted into the blood covenant we cannot lose.  We are covered—-it is done.  Christ took all sin and sickness with him by his death.  His victory is our gain.

So, I find myself waiting for the manifestation of my healing impatiently.  No doubt those of you that know me realize that patience isn’t my greatest virtue.  But God is faithful and He is pruning me to become a better person and a true follower of Christ.  So I wait (Im)patiently during this season of my life.

Recently, I had a bit of a setback.  (But you all know that for me, “a setback is a setup for a comeback). I fractured my right Humerous bone.  The cancer had weakened my humerous bone so much so that on New Year’s Eve day I slipped and jolted my shoulder pretty violently which caused the humerous to fracture——boy was that painful!!  This injury sent me to the emergency and subsequently to the U of M where they cut me open to insert a 8” plate with 12 screws—-not a lot of fun recovering from this surgery.  (I am now Bionic!! Watch out golf buddies!) I’m 6 weeks out now and its finally starting to heal. Im beginning to gain some strength in my right arm.  I have to tell you that in the past 4 years of metastasis I have experienced tremendous pain in various ways—-removing kidney stones, getting through 4 major surgeries and their corresponding recovery periods, multiple infusions and radiation treatments.  Yet, I say that it can “always be worse”.  So, I don’t complain….much.  Who wants to hear my complaints anyway?

I’m here to say that naturally I get down and at times discouraged.  But, then I get up out of my pity party and read God’s word.  In his word (and He isn’t capable of lying) He tells us how he will never leave us or forsake us.  I take His promises verbatim.  I fill up on His word each day so that I can overcome any negativity or self pity.  My current favorite healing scripture is in Jeremiah 30:17, “I will give you back your health again and heal your wounds”.  This verse is complete and total comfort for me as I have mentioned this before in a previous blog.  I stand on His word and I will (in the famous words of Sir Winston Churchill) NEVER, EVER, EVER GIVE UP OR GIVE IN.

So, yesterday I went to see the Oncologist.  I had a PET Scan Friday.  He went over the results of the scan.  Frankly, it wasn’t what we wanted to hear.  The cancer continues its insidious growth.  Now, I have cancerous lesions in my C2 vertebrae (never a good thing), my left Illiac, and my left 7th rib.  It sucks to be frank.  Yet, I have peace about it because my God is a BIG God and he can do all things.  In two weeks I will be meeting with the Radiation Oncologist to discuss our plan to mitigate Satan’s health plan—that is the lesions.  You see I don’t believe God puts these things on us to teach us a lesson.  Or, because we have sin in our lives.  I believe it is the work of the devil.  The Bible tells us that he wants to “steal, kill, and destroy”.  God wants what’s good for us.  Jesus never turned anyone down relative to healing.  He didn’t heal some and not others.  He wants what’s best for us.

In Jeremiah 29:11-13 he tells us, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a FUTURE and a HOPE. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your HEART.”

Then in Philippians 4:6-7 he tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

These two verses aren’t suggestions.  They are promises!!  God doesn’t lie.  But, we need to step out in faith to accept these promises.  We need to show God we stand on his promises.  One way we can do this is to get to know him through reading his word—daily.  As we get to know him in a greater way we as believers he honors those promises.  THEY ARE NOT PHONY OR FAKE!!

As I contemplate the future I continue to see good things happening.  Even though I didn’t get the best news I am not going to let man (a doctors bad report) determine how I feel or how I will live.  I will continue to seek the manifestation of my healing here on Earth.  I will continue to think positive above the negativity of my health and this world.  I will continue to stand on God’s promises that we were grafted into with Christ’s blood covenant.

Wishing you a life of hope, love, peace and prosperity beyond money!!

Blessings to all,

Craig D. Giles, aka Papa G

Call me at 612.804.5630 or contact me at tcgiles@hotmail.com for any reason.

 

And then my real life will begin in ETERNITY as promised in God’s word.  This is my HOPE.  This is not a wish or some childish naivety.  This is what the Bible tells us.  In 1 John 5:11-12 the word tell us, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He who has the (Faith in the Son of God) Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

I know that I am quite redundant regarding this point, but it would be a shame for someone to lose eternal life because no one has shared this with them.

Let’s talk about the future.  Right now to be honest I’m not feeling the best.  I am dealing with constant fevers that have negatively impacted my energy.  Each day I get fevers anywhere from 99 degrees to 102+ degrees. This saps my strength and causes me to be very emotional to the point where a touching commercial will set me off!!!  I don’t want to be insensitive here but I guess its like having a period daily!! Ladies, you now have a empathic and compassionate ally.  I get night sweats to the point of totally soaking two tee sheets per night.  I now put thick towels down on my sheets so they will absorb the moisture.  This past Wed (the 13th) I had planned to fly to Dallas to get my second immune therapy.  The objective of this experimental therapy is to take the treated and multiplied immune killer and memory cells we developed from a cancer lab in Greece and re-introduce them into my body.  On Tuesday the day before I planned on flying to Dallas I shared with the Lord in prayer that if I wasn’t supposed to go to Dallas (due to coughing from the medically induced lung injury) slam the door shut on me.  Well, let me tell you He did it in a big way.  I was 30 minutes from boarding the flight and something nudged me (no it wasn’t Terry) to call the clinic to be sure they were ready for me. I called and talked to Linda the receptionist and told her I was on the way.  She said, “what?” (In a surprised voice) let me check with the doctor.  I knew right then I wasn’t going to get on that plane.  Sure enough the doctor wasn’t ready for me.  He was still waiting on the doctor from the Greek cancer lab to confirm with him a couple of things regarding my status.  So, there I was at gate 22 eating a salad I had ordered frantically calling the customer service departments of Delta, Budget, and Hyatt to change dates without penalties.  By the grace of God no one charged any change fees and I’m ready to go for my future trip to Dallas either in late September or Oct 5th.

I feel like I’m in the Wilderness wandering like the Israelites did waiting to get in to the land of “milk and honey”.  I’m just waiting on the Lord.  He sustains me when I get impatient or unquiet about my health and treatments.  There is a great Psalm that helps me in these uncertain times.  It’s Psalm 46:10 it says, “Be still and know that I am God”.  Nuff said!!!  He is God and I am not.  This verse is all about reverently honoring him and his power and majesty.  We are to take time each day to be still and be joyful and rejoice that He is our God.  So I do.  I read His word daily. I focus on healing scriptures when my back gets sore due to the fracture in the T10.  Or, when I start coughing (to the point of vomit…..sorry about that :>) I think about healing verses and start saying them out loud.  While its very difficult to praise God when in pain I do my best because He wants us to praise Him in all circumstances not just when things are going well, but when we are challenged beyond what we can normally handle.  This my friends is the most difficult thing of all.  The verse I love to say out loud repeatedly is Jeremiah 30:17, “I will give you back your health again and heal your wounds…”. I love this verse!!!  It keeps my mind on the promises of God and not on my human circumstance.

Speaking of issues or circumstances everybody has them.  I realize that I don’t have the corner on sickness (woot, woot).  I realize there are many of you that have issues whether they are physical, mental, or relational.  Some of you don’t believe in God, don’t trust God, or really don’t think there is a God that cares.  Well I’m here to tell you that there is a great God.  He has been walking with me the past 9 yrs and specifically the past nearly four years of stage IV cancer.  In the wonderful, insightful book by FF Bosworth, “Christ the Healer”, FF who was both a pastor and missionary, tells us Christ wants to heal us.  He died on the cross for our spiritual AND physical needs. We are covered by His blood covenant which covers all things spiritual and physical.  He defeated death, Satan, and sin.  I rejoice in this truth!!

My hope and prayer is that you will find your way to Him.  Life may not get easier, but you will experience personal peace, assurance, and most importantly, hope regarding your life and the future.  For what are we without hope?

I will let you know how my next treatment goes.  My prayer and desire is that it goes so well that these memory and killer cells remain active for several years—they tell me up to four years in fact.  Won’t you please join me in praying for complete healing and for these treatments to work beyond belief?

If there is anything I can do for you—to talk, to give you some guidance regarding natural things I have done and continue to do please don’t hesitate to contact me.  God put me on earth to help others, not just myself.

All my love and concern,

Craig, aka Papa G

612-804-5630

tcgiles@hotmail.com

Wow! That’s a bit (you think) pretentious of you Craig to believe that our Sovereign God has his fingerprints on you specificially!!

Certainly, if you think about what Sovereign means the dictionary defines Sovereign as “a supreme ruler”, possessing supreme or ultimate power. Simply put, God is in control. I believe that for my life and I have seen first hand how he has been intertwined in my life regarding my family, professional life, and now in my greatest need, my health.  Let me explain.  Since I retired a little over a year ago due to my health disability I have done nothing but get better.  I believe that is because I am not under a great deal of stress as I had been in the past as well as I can now eat right, sleep sufficiently, and get proper medical care.  However, the medical care that I am currently under is just PALLIATIVE.  That means it’s not cureative—there is no cure for Renal Cell Carcinoma.  The Immunotherapy that I am on is simply helping my immune system hold back any growth in cancer.  It’s not killing it.  However, by the grace of God (and his Sovereignty) during this process the Lord led me to a Naturopathic Medical Doctor that has been leading the way in research that uses our natural immune system to kill cancer.  It’s simply call Immune Support Therapy. There is a way to train (or prime) your immune cells to recognize the peptides or proteins of the cancer cells which uncloaks the cancer and opens those cells up to being attacked (and killed) by my own immune cells—-pretty cool.

Through prayer and research the Lord has led me to various natural options to keep me healthy while we find ways to actually kill these d@#n cancer cells.  Many of the things that I am doing I listed in my last blog.  In order to have changed results we must change how we approach our diet, exercise, supplementation, prayer life and dependence upon our Sovereign God.

Recently, I was listening to a great sermon regarding people being angry at God.  This got me thinking about the fact that some people think God brings bad things upon them—thereby leading them to have hostility, hate, or anger toward him.  But, if you would study scripture you realize that God is not a God of chaos, sickness, disease, or any other bad thing.  It’s not possible for him to be less than perfect!!!  He is a God of grace, love, hope, and order.  Take a look at Genesis.  It’s all about the order of things and how God set this world up.  It wasn’t until Satan (once an angel) fell from grace because he wanted to be God.  This is when sin entered our world and set things in motion for human pain, suffering, sin, sadness, chaos, etc.  In 2 Timothy 1:7 the Bible tells us, “God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  So, don’t be pissed at God!  Get pissed at Satan and rebuke him in the name of Jesus.  Scripture also tells us in John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  Satan rules the earth.  God has supreme power over Satan, (he defeated Satan and death on the cross) but due to sin in this world bad things happen and Satan loves it when it does especially to Christians.  Remember, just before Jesus was captured to be crucified on the cross he told the disciples that “he was going away, but the Father will be sending his gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit which will give us power and love to fill in the gap of Jesus leaving this Earth.   We need to activate the turbo-charged Holy Spirit within us.  The Spirit that our Father promised us when we become believers in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  PERIOD.  End of discussion.  This is absolute.

You ask, “what’s the point of all this Craig?”  The point is that we have hope beyond this world.  Christ told us that in this world we will have trouble.  But he also told us to take heart!  He has overcome the world (sin and death) as such we have the hope of everlasting life no matter what circumstances you may find yourself in right now.

I find that as I have faced this life threatening disease and as I have aged I spend less time living for this world and more time looking to and driven to live for eternity.  This means to have an eternal perspective versus a temporal perspective.  Sickness, disease, anxiety, depression is all temporal.  However, when we focus on growing our relationship with Christ we start living differently.  People notice positive changes in us and they are drawn to this type of living.  An eternal focus helps us to have abundant joy no matter whats going on in our lives!!!  Isn’t this something you would like to grab on too?  There’s another great piece of scripture that has to do with the Great Commission.  In Mark 16;15-18 Jesus tells us to, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will GET WELL!!!!

As I write this blog I am coming off the IST (Immune Support Therapy) I mentioned earlier.  In this therapy a special cancer lab from Greece take your blood and separates the cancer cells from your healthy immune cells.  In this case, Dendritic cells. They harvest the Dendritic cells then multiply them so that they can inject them back into your body (via a 5 hour IV).  In my case they reintroduced 12-15 million more cells all “primed” to recognize the proteins of the cancer which decloaks the cancer and allows the primed cells to go after the cancer cell to kill them.  One of the ways you know the treatment is working is obvious side effects such as low grade fever (100-101), fatigue, and experiencing “hot spots” in your body where the cancer lies.  Let me tell you if fevers and fatigue are strong indicators of success I am shouting from the mountain tops because I have had fevers, the sweats, and fatigue for 5 weeks now. I am finally feeling better but not before a stop at the emergency room and my pulmonary specialist for another on e of my favorite procedures—bronchoscopy.  Thank God there were no Renal cells in my bronchial tube and lung.  Praising the Almighty for his goodness.

As I have gone through 4 surgeries, 2 bronchial extractions, and numerous days in treatment centers in the last 3 years is that I find joy and hope in Christ Jesus. The road has not been easy, but He has never left me.  He is pruning me to learn how to be patient, to persevere, live in the moment, love others no matter what their politics or ideaology, and make every minute of living like it was my last.  But, I think the greatest thing He is teaching me through all of this is to humble myself and let Him take control of my life because His ways are not like our ways.  He knows what best for us—-always.

If you are struggling with your faith, angry at God for what you consider an injustice in your life, lost hope in life, or just plain exhausted living in a world that has many challenges and pitfalls, take heart turn to Jesus.  He wants to have a real relationship with you.  However, you need to take the step toward Him.  The good news gospel of Jesus is life-changing.  It will change you, and change how we treat others, ourself, and renew our faith and hope for a better tomorrow.

As always, feel free to contact me at tcgiles@hotmail.com or 612.804.5630.  I would love to hear your story.

Blessings into eternity,

Craig D. Giles, aka Papa G

 

Hey everyone!

Happy New Year!  I hope your New Year is starting off better than you ever imagined it would.

The new year brings with it hopes and dreams of a better life.  Perhaps, its the hope and desire to become a better parent, partner, friend, loved one, student, employee, etc.  We set our sites on better things to come and think about ways we can make it all happen (by the grace of God).

Well, I’m right about on time for this blog–about every 6 weeks.  One of my New Years resolution is to blog more often and add practical tips and information for those of you that may be suffering.  Or, know someone that is suffering and could use some good, natural information relative to health care.  On my last blog I talked about how important it is to “take your thoughts captive”.  You see, when you are battling stage IV cancer it is imperative that you constantly think positively.  It is imperative that you “appreciate MORE, complain LESS”.  Your mindset is critically important in battling any type of illness.  You MUST NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, EVER, give up (like the late, great Winston Churchill told his countrymen at the most difficult time in their history). You (we) must fight on with a mindset that we are going to win against what we are facing in life.  It doesn’t have to be a life threatening disease.  It could be dealing with a difficult boss at work.  It could be you are in a terrible relationship (hopefully not abusive—get out of that ASAP) It could be you are in the midst of raising a family and it seems like you’ll never get past the urgent in order to relax.  I don’t know what you are dealing with, but I do know ONE thing about life these past 8 years of dealing with this disease and it’s NEVER GIVE IN!!!! Fight always!
A quick update—the last scans showed that the disease have been stopped in it’s track. The lesions have not grown, the nodules in my right lung have turned to scars and I am able to do most things. I have even gotten back to golfing. PRAISE GOD FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS! I even workout 3 times a week.

There’s a great verse that can help how we think and it’s in John 16:33, He is the One whom I find comfort and reassurance: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  

Jesus is telling us that YES you will have trouble in this world.  We live in an imperfect world where Satan rules the Earth.  He fell from Heaven because he wanted to be God. He didn’t want to be “just an Angel”.  As such he caused this world to be that way it is—sickness, sorrow, selfishness, confusion, etc.  Thankfully, God had a master plan.  He sent his Son to redeem the world.  He defeated death and Satan at the cross.  He created goodness in the hearts and minds of people.  Those of you that are committed Christians and live our life in such a way that is pleasing to God and obey his commands will be rewarded and rejoice in life after death (of this world).

In Psalm 46:1 David talked about how God was always with him.  He states, “He is right here with me in the midst of my trouble, and I am not alone: God is our REFUGE and STRENGTH, and ever-present help in trouble.”

In truth, cancer sucks!  I find that I constantly have to be aware of what I am eating or drinking for fear that I’ll “feed the beast”.  There is much truth to the saying, “you are what you eat”.  Our bodies were designed (by God) to fend off disease and repair itself when under duress or stress.  I believe that we should “let food be our medicine and our medicine be our food”.  Although, there are drugs that can help one overcome a specific disease (or help manage it better) in the long term we need to alter our diet in such a way that we are feeding our bodies that type of food that it was designed to ingest, digest, and process for long term health.  It was interesting to me today while I waited to get my Immunotherapy treatment they had an interesting fact on the TV video loop.   One particular fact stood out to me and that is 7% of America eats at McDonald’s everyday. That’s pretty crazy!  Processed, (processed food in general) fast food is the last thing we should be eating.  Yet, nearly 24 million people eat there everyday.  So, if you are suffering with cancer or know someone that is I would suggest the following:

1.  Eliminate or extremely minimize ALL forms of sugar unless its Stevia or a natural plant based sugar!!

2. Eat clean–this means ALL organic fruits and vegetables, (sure it costs more, but if you dont there’s a good chance your medical bills will continue) no nitrates, nitrites, antibiotics in chicken or other meat or poultry, no MSG, eat only GRASS FED beef or buffalo, wild caught Salmon or white fish, (no farm raised fish unless it’s organically sustainable), eat organic eggs produced by cage-free, organically fed chickens.

3.  Go Gluten Free even though you don’t have a gluten sensitivity.  The wheat we eat today is highly processed and is down right not good for you.  If you must eat grains eat Ezekiel grains.  These are sprouted grains produced like in Biblical times–excellent for you.

4.  Eat good fats such as butter made from grass fed cows.  Other “good fats” include avocado, Omega oils from organic nuts such as almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, macadonia nuts, pine nuts, etc.  Coconut oil and medium chain triglyceride Oil (MCT oil) are a must in your everyday diet.

5. Minimize STRESS!  In the long term I believe it was stress that led to my immune system being weakened which gave the cancer a chance to “grab hold in my body”.  Be sure you take vacations. Get outside and breathe fresh air each day for a minimum of an hour.  Breathe deep and release.  Get exercise everyday—whether that’s a walk, workout, biking, swimming, etc.  JUST TAKE TIME TO DO IT!!

6.  Get to know God in a personal way. Read the Bible.  Learn what God’s word has to say about healthy living, relationships (especially with him), and other great words of wisdom in this time tested book.  He loves you and longs to know you in a more intimate way.  There is no other way to true peace in this world.  

7.  If you are sick, take FAR INFRARED saunas.  Invest in a Bio-Mat which is FDA approved and can help eliminate deadly toxins in your body.  Do coffee enema’s.  That’s right you heard me—coffee enema’s.  Just google it.  Once you do a coffee enema you won’t believe how much better you will feel.  This type of enema helps activate the lower intestine and helps your liver “dump toxins”.  It’s imperative you protect your liver from toxins.  This is one organ you can’t do without if it’s not working properly.  🙂

8.  Take supplements to aid your immune system, fight inflammation, and re-vitalize your body.  Buy HIGH QUALITY supplements!!  Companies like Standard Process, Pure, Medi-Herb, Garden of Life, etc.  Google it.  You’ll find good quality products.  High quality supplements are made of “real” food, not synthetic chemicals.  Your body will be able to easily digest these types of supplements. 

9.  Get rid of hate, resentment, jealousy, bitterness, anger etc., in your life and replace them with the Fruits of the Spirit which is defined in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.”  

Friends and loved ones, I think you’ll find when you practice the above things your LIFE WILL IMPROVE!  There is no doubt in my mind.  I have personally experience what I would call miracles based on these things but most of all because of those of you that continue to pray for my good health—-the Lord is listening.  He is healing me.  

Thank you for your faithfulness!  I will never take this for granted.  

Look for my next blog in February to both bring you up to date regarding treatments and scans (I have scans scheduled for mid-Feb) and to comment on other life topics such as persevering in difficult circumstances, leading others through example, raising children who love the Lord, self-control and discipline in life, finding (or growing) your faith, faith in the workplace, etc.  

Stay tuned……All my love and appreciation for your support and friendship.  

Blessings galore in 2017 and beyond,

Craig, aka Papa G

612.804.5630

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Hey everyone!

Great to have you reading my blog.  I wish to thank all of you who care enough for me or a loved one—feel free to read and share this blog with anyone you know that could use the HOPE of Jesus Christ in their life no matter what’s going on in their life.  

The past couple of weeks have been difficult for me.  Why? You might ask.  Because once in awhile I drop my guard and let the evil one get into my head.   (Unintentionally) My wife has a cousin who is dying in a nursing home.  Terry and I went to visit the cousin to share the Gospel of Christ with him to ensure that he too can have the gift of eternal life.  While we were there I let thoughts of him dying in the bed get to me.  Basically, I thought about the fact I could easily be in that situation given the scope of the disease in my body.  It truly depressed me.   Forgive me Lord for allowing this to happen by not taking charge of my thoughts.   In the Bible your word tells us, “For I know the plans you have for me Lord. Plans to prosper me, and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a FUTURE.  (Paraphrase of Jeremiah 29:11). Yet there are times we allow Satan to sneak up on us with lies that tell us we are not good enough.  Or, that God really doesn’t care because we are not seeing immediate results of our prayers.  Whatever the issue is I can tell you that God does care and his promises are written all over the Bible for us to read and to take to heart.  Additionally, I learned that another one of my family members was diagnosed with bladder cancer and another recently had prostate cancer surgery.   Instead of getting emboldened by this crises knowing the power of the Almighty, I let these things get me down once again.  

So, I have decided that I need to strengthen my resolve by being more consistent in my prayer and devotional life.  I need to  “up my game” in talking to the Lord in prayer, to listen to his soft voice, to be more intentional in reading his word so that I put on the “full Armor of God” from Ephesians which tells us, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full Armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness inplace, and with your feet fitted with the steadiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

By doing so I know that I can be victorious against the evil one in this lifetime.  

So, you ask, “how are things Craig?”  Well, honestly other than an occasional mental lapse as explained above I can’t complain about my life.  I had 3 Cyberknife treatments on the Occipital lesion back in August and will know more about how that is progressing after my MRI’s and CT Scans come Tuesday November 15th.  So, once I know the results I will be sharing them with you via another blog report.  My energy is good.  I now golf and work out on a regular basis.  Obviously, not to the extent that I did in the past, but I do what I can.  

For those of you that are struggling with a life threatening disease I urge you to place your trust in Jesus.  According to the Bible which is the greatest book ever written and represents the word of God himself, he is the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father in Heaven but thru him.  (Not Allah, not Buddha, not any other supposed God). The following are wonderful verses to memorize.  They will give you hope, peace, strength, and assurance:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.  2 Timothy 1:17. (Don’t let your thoughts control you, take your negative thoughts captive, always think the best possible scenario in your life.  It’s never good to think negatively)

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you.  Deuteronomy 31:8

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.  2 Corinthians 12:9

I can do All things in Christ who strengthens me.  Philippians 4:13. (This is a favorite of mine as I tell myself this multiple times per day). 

My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:19

Lastly, if you or a loved one is diagnosed with cancer let me remind you that it is not a “death sentence”.  It is a renewed opportunity to live a life more real and purposeful. Shuck off all the negative people in your life and spend time with those people that will lift you up, laugh with you, cry with you, and care about you.  Our Lord thru his healing or thru medicine can cure you!  But, you must do your part-pray for healing and wisdom, clean up your eating, reduce your stress greatly, get rid of bitterness and resentment in your life, forgive and give grace whenever at all times, and love people always.  

Blessed be your days ahead…..

Craig aka Papa G

P.S. You can reach me at tcgiles@hotmail.com or 612.804.5630.