David Kuo has been walking with Jesus for more than 20 years, during which time he has served as special assistant to the president in George W. Bush’s White House, policy director for Sen. John Ashcroft, and speechwriter for a gaggle of conservatives (plus a few liberals here and there). He is the author of “Tempting Faith,” a book about God and politics, and is currently the Washington editor for Beliefnet.com. He is in love with his wife Kim and three other females named Laura, Rachel, and Olivia, conveniently also known as his daughters. He is a member of the Association of Professional Bass Fishermen.
J-Walking welcomes your emails. You can contact David Kuo at davidkuo@beliefnetstaff.com
posted March 3, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Hearing about both your tumors touched me. I wondered if either of you have read Bill Banks’ book “Alive Again” (c1977, Impact Christian Books, 332 Leffingwell Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122, (314)-822-3309). I got “Alive Again” about a year ago and have recently been re-reading it. Bill was an insurance salesman, a Presbyterian, with a wife and two small boys, who was diagnosed with cancer. It became advanced enough that at one point was given no more than 48 hours to live (and that only if they could get him on a kidney dialysis machine immediately.) But within a year he was completely cancer-free. Woven through it, he asks many of the same questions you just asked today – and gives his answers. He’s very honest about all his up, downs, doubts, fears, belief, unbelief, and his better times. Since he’s alive and well over 35 years later, it’s an encouraging book. If you haven’t read it, you might contact him for a copy. I don’t recall the cost, but not much; it’s a paperback. May God walk with you both “and supply all you need from his riches in glory.” (Philippians 4: 19.) Pete Ahlstrom, Rock Springs, Wyoming
posted March 4, 2007 at 9:51 am
When my four year old began treatment for her tumor many years ago – she insisted on wearing her “Ghost Busters uniform and backpack to the clinic. Her little friend Keven would occasionally come with her l- both in their coveralls with Ghostbuster patches, their special weapons and cool “blues brothers” sunglasses. Oh, yeah, and Margaret always wore he lucky hightop converse tennis shoes – the bright pink ones. You could see her imagination working as they injected the poison that is chemo. She would vanquish those ghostly cells and put em in the “trapper”. When she relapsed, her mind turned from Ghostbusters – to Henry V and the Battle of Gettysburg (Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain at “little Round Top). She could stand in the drive way and quote Henry on winning an impossible battle and she watched the video’s of Ken Burns “Civil War” and of “Gettysburg” on a daily basis. She was the only third grade to be able to discuss the battles of the civil war, the folly that was Gettyburg and yet still didn’t know her multiplication tables. Once again, you could see the metaphors she had chosen to fight and destroy her tumor. We laught about it these 15 years later, but those stories were deadly serious in her imaginary world. She understood prayer and wondered “why God did this to me”. It took a long time for her to come to the conclusion that God was with her and all of us in the scary journey, but that the tumor was an accident of nature. It remains hard.
posted March 4, 2007 at 1:56 pm
David, I do hope and pray that you live a very long and very healthy life. Hopefully you can become an influential religious leader. /// Then, as you see that in Liberal and Progressive “Churches,” there is no debate, or discussion, or any dissent allowed, you can reach out and save the lost souls entering into eternity via a perverse and evil road.