Torch, Summer 1999

Among other t~ings, this must mean that, through the ultimate and unlimited act of God's grace, anyone and everyone can expe~ience redemption and God's. pardon. If it can. happen to· a declared enemy of God and His people, it caµ l].appen for anyone - at alL - Jn.summ;ry, the 'Yord "pr~et" is translatea from-about six different Hebrew words and'five differe~t Greekwords. Arn<;mg)ts meanings are: - • supplication . · • mediation/intercession . : confiding!~onversing (continued from page 8) speaking at another conference in Los Angeles :J~and Jessica will be goj,!lg with me on that, and we will be looking forward to that time together. Eli Lilly has contacted me again to ask if I would be willing to speak at another one of their conferences in Dallas, Texas. I report this to you not to bring attention to my personal travels, but to bring attention to the manner in which God is using my cancer as a means of spreading His word. It is amazing how the Lord has given me a platform to use to speak primarily to unchurched professional people. This is a platform that I would have never had without my cancer. All the things we share with you today are answers to your prayers. One author expressed it this way: "Prayer is the expression of man's dependence upon God for all - things. What habitual reverence is ·to prais~ the habirual sense of ' depenaence. is to prayer ... while on i:he o~e hand, there arises (in prayer) a deep sense of need, of helplessness, and unworthiness, there oomes also an assurance of the diyine fullness and love, wfuch · eolar~s our petitions and brmgS-- conS.dence ofanswers to our prayers" (p. 879 ofUnger's Bible . Dictionafy, Moody Press, 1966). 'Whatever else-is changed because of our prajrers; .it is a certain_ty that .we are changed by prayer. {i] . You, along with our family and many others, are praying for a total miracle on my behalf We are truly praying that my cancer will totally, completely, and permanently be cured. But in the very beginning, Jon and I prayed that if the Lord would choose to spare my life, we would share what He has done in spite of the cancer. My life has been spared, and we are amazed at what He is able to do in our lives. This is truly an answer to prayer. We still continue to pray that the rd will keep me healthy and strong and rid me of the cancer once and for all. We would like to thank all of you for praying in the past, and we would like to ask you to continue to pray for us in the future . S haron Johnson, director of graduate programs and professor of management, came to Cedarville in 1993 as chairman of the department of business administration. He earned his OBA in management from Florida State University and taught at Francis Marion College (S.C.) and Baylor University (Texas) before corning to the College. He and his wife, Cathy, home school their three children: Andrew (who is now tal<lng courses part time at Cedarville College), Arielle, and Abigail. The Johnsons are enthusiastic supporters of the Greene County Crisis Pregnancy Center and are actively involved in Washington Heights Baptist Church of Dayton. Donna continues to stru~e with her cancer. She has completed another chemotherapy regimen and is now enrolled in a clinical trial at The Ohio State University. She, Jon, an'd Jessica are lookingforward to Christmas 1999 . . . her sixth as a cancer survivor. [i] For more information about the Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy Support and Education (ALCASE), call 1-800-298-2436.