I'll see you in New Jerusalem, on the bank of the river under the tree.

Once again Deanna allows me to post a bit.

So I have this grapefruit sized tumor at the junction between my esophagus and stomach, and for a long time, my most pressing problem has been to stay hydrated. I can only sip-and I mean micro-sip-small amounts and then I have to belch tremendous amounts of gas. It causes a lot of belly pain, all that gas. There is spitting up of phlegm involved to. It seems that anything that I want to put in has to be offset by getting rid of many times the volume in gas and phlegm. It's a huge problem with taking the supplements too. I've been so thirsty, dry mouth and throat all the time, and we avoid being outside in the heat at all costs, which cuts me off from fresh air and sunshine.

In all my spare time-(Ha...there isn't any...every waking moment is scheduled for some kind of treatment or supplement) I've been reviewing what the Bible has to say about healing. But I catch a few moments here and there. And for some strange reason I've been fantasizing about being able to drink water and fruit juice and eat fruit. To be able to just pick up a jug of cool, clean water that doesn't taste bad (mine has some powerful supplements in it right now that foul the taste a bit) and to just chug it all down and demolish it. It would be a miracle. And then to pick an orange, crush the juice out of it and drink it, or maybe a perfectly fresh peach. My fantasies all involve water and fruit now.

Today Bill increased the amount of beet-derived vitamin c in my IV therapy. (The other great thing about the IV therapy is I get about and extra liter of fluid out of it!) I was exhausted at the end, and we cancelled the rest of the day's therapies. But while I was dozing on the drip, I had a vision, or dream, or fantasy, or whatever you want to call it that Deanna thought I should blog.

I was in New Jerusalem, sitting on the bank of the river of life, underneath the tree of life. (Revelation 22). Jesus came over and sat down beside me. He was wearing a clean cut beard, looking perfectly healthy, smiling. He was wearing a plain robe looking thing, sort of like a Jedi outfit. He did not speak a word. There was light all around us, but it wasn't hot or uncomfortable at all. Like the most visually vibrant blue sky day, but not a drop of sweat or discomfort. (I am not a sun/humidity person, even on my best of days) and I was perfectly comfortable.

I dropped to my knees at his feet, crying, but his hands were soon on my shoulders, lifting me up to sit beside him on the river bank, right beside him, and just a bit lower on the bank. He said not a word, just kept looking me in the eye and smiling. I stopped crying-there was simply no place or reason for it here. From somewhere he took out two goblets. These were big, royal court, jewel encrusted things like you see in the movies when they depict a royal/imperial feast.

He hands one to me , and looks at the river. Because I've had my eyes on him, I haven't noticed until now that he has handed me the gold goblet, and kept the silver goblet for himself. They are not the same! I say something like "Lord, at least you take the gold goblet...mine cannot be better than yours." I gently push the goblet towards him, and he just smiles and exchanges goblets with me.

And then, we each scoop a goblet full of water from the river of life, and I begin to drink. To drink like I've never drunk before. Deep and long, more than I can ever remember, and the water is cool and tastes better than any water has ever tasted before. It sort of fades out there.

So Deanna hauls me back to the hotel room. I'm thirsty. So I polish off my .5 liter bottle that has the sups added to it. It goes down pretty easy, with much less gas and pain. I normally nurse that little bottle all day long without finishing it. It, maybe another liter of supplements mixed in little cups of water, and my trusty IV are all I usually get. I'm really tired, so I conk out on the bed for a while.

Thunderstorms came this afternoon while I was sleeping. I thank God for the rain and remember Tucson and hope they are having a good monsoon season, getting all the needed rain for the people and the Sonora, but without destructive flooding. I remember that one of my greatest joys there was hiking Sabino and Bear Canyons in the afternoon during monsoon season. If you go there after lunch, you can hike them in the blazing 113 plus degree heat, and then watch God send the thunderstorms through the canyons mid to late afternoon. You can let the rain blast you and cool you off and listen to his thunderous voice roll off the cliffs. Utterly fantastic.

Deanna mixes me up a liter of water. I drink it. She makes me a large-cup of my favorite purple cool-aid supplement. I drink it. She mixes me up another liter of water, which I'm working on now. In the last few hours, I have drunk more water than probably the whole week previous! Praise God, Praise God, Praise God!!!!!!

I open up my Bible to continue my study of Biblical healing. I run square across Luke 11:5, where Jeshua has just taught the disciples the Lord's prayer because they asked him to. And then he teaches them something else. He teaches them to boldly ask for the stuff they need, repeatedly if necessary, because sometimes people will give you what you want just to get you to stop bugging them. And then he teaches them that if they intend to give good things to their own kids, then they should ask God for whatever they need, because surely He knows how and what to give us, His children, the very best of everything that we need.

I was also able to sleep last night with only 2 or 3 wake ups! Usually it's about every hour, from back or belly aches from overly spasmed muscles or gas pain, or the tumors.

Your prayers for us helped make a huge breakthrough today! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Please pray thanks to Him for what He has done for us today and that He will continue to be gracious and merciful.

"By His stripes we are healed."
Love in Christ
-Mike