My loving brother is terminally ill.

[Speedballer347]

It's a sad day at our house.  Stage 3 terminal lung cancer. 6-12 months with chemo.  Then he is gone.  Found out yesterday.

His docia (sp)
Early 40's. Legitimate 132 IQ.  Educated and is a nationally known Historian. Non competitive, and laid back.  Hysterically funny.  Extremely and genuinely friendly and caring.  He is the nicest person I have ever met, he never has a harsh or sarcastic word for anyone.  Never looked down on anyone. Never smoked. The amount of detailed information and knowledge in his brain seems utterly impossible.

He is a successful research author writing historical books.  The best accolade I saw on one of his covers was from Stephen Ambrose "I've never read a better account of a battle".  For those who know who Ambrose is, that comment is a big deal.
He has been on FOX network Britt Hume(sp) as an expert a couple of times.
Oliver North's War Stories also flew down to STL to interview/film him for one of their shows.
This guy's intellect, knowledge and good heartedness are about to be wasted, forever.

I live with him and his 7 year old.  He's my best friend.  He was just given a death sentence.  My head is spinning, I can't see straight, feel like puking....I can't imagine what's going on in his head.

He needs and deserves a miracle.
I am not a believer, but I know some of you here are.  PLEASE pray for this guy.....he is 1-in-a-million.

If anyone replies, it is appreciated.....but I won't answer.....I'm catatonic....I probably won't even read this post again.  I dunno.

His myspace page.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=91514926

No one please say "hang in there""you can beat this" etc.  He aint beating shit, it's over....  Please everyone, Pray for him and his daughter.   Thank you

[karen]

sorry, I'll be thinking about you all and praying.

[wolf44]

sorry to hear that eric, let me know if you need anything

[tstruyk]

damn E... I dont know what to say...

If you need a friend, a beer... anything... please call me.  You know how to find me.

I am so sorry for you and your family. 

[theQman23]

Dear Speedballer347,
      I don't know if we know each other or not.  We may, I didn't see your name in the post.  I understand if you decide not to write back, your post said you wouldn't and that's okay.  I understand also that you're very angry right now, and that's okay too.  
      I lost my brother also when he was too young to go.  It seems incredibly unfair, and very hurtful.  I did not know why it happened, or what the justification for it was.  All I knew was my family was hurting, it seemed unfair, and that I was mad at God.  I claimed then to not be a believer myself as well.  Most people will say that they understand how you feel, and they really, really won't.  But trust me, I have lost a brother, and a father in unnatural and early circumstances, and it hurts like hell.
      Our Lord will sometimes do extraordinarily happy and good things to bring Glory and faith to his name.  Unfortuneately however, because we are in an imperfect world, he will sometimes also let things that are very hurtful, and painful, happen to us in an effort to draw us near.  
    My Dad smacked me in the mouth one time so hard when I was a little kid, for something I said to my Mom.  It hurt so bad, and my feelings were hurt so bad, that I didn't talk to my Dad for about a week.  But you know what?  Today I consider my Dad one of the world's greatest heroes I've ever met.  He's gone now, but the days he and I spent at the track together, or little league baseball, or drinking coffee when Mom wasn't looking are precious to me now.
   I will not say "hang in there he's gonna make it" cause like you said, that hurts if it isn't true in OUR EYES.  But speedballer please, please understand that the Lord has other ways of judging whether or not someone "makes it."  My brother Allen is gone from me, and so is my Dad, but they are in a place that is so peaceful, and so good, that to ask them to come home back to me would be a disservice to them.
    We don't go to heaven based on our good works, or good deeds, or how nice we are.  It says in the book of Ephesians that "Salvation is not of works, lest any man should boast," meaning.......  no human person is righteous enough for heaven, no matter how good we think we've been.  But the ....." Gift of God, is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord" and my favorite is in the book of Romans, which says, "Whosever calls on the name of the Lord, SHALL be saved."  In that context in that scripture the Lord is Jesus Christ, and the term being saved refers to salvation to heaven, not eternal life in our physical body.
      You brother may very well pass, but you stated that his intelligence and goodness will be wasted.  This is only true, if he does not assure his salvation.  But if he assures his salvation before he goes, then the few months he has left on earth can be his greatest testimony and triumph, greater than any book he's ever written so far I promise......  and he'll never be wasted, but glorified when he sits in front of the Father.
    If my religiosity has offended you I understand, I was mad when my brother and my Dad left too.  I lived my whole life chasing things of this earth, according to desires of my own heart just like everyone, thinking that I evolved from a monkey and thinking that when I'm dead, I'm just gone.  But when I was 31, (think of that, 31 years of working, racing, partying....etc etc) the Lord grabbed me by the scruff of the neck, corrected me, and now with his Word, and his Son, and his Spirit, there is nothing on this earth that has not been, "added unto me" as the Bible says.  Every promise that I ever read that God gave us in his word seems IMPOSSIBLE, so I put them to the test.  And you know what??  Every time I tested one of his biblical but impossible tests, he came through, and has never, ever, ever, left me without what is needed.  
     There is an eternity in front of you and your brother.  It's a forever and ever thing man, I promise, and I swear to it on my own soul.  If you and your brother, just become a whosever long enough to, "whosever calls upon the name of the Lord, SHALL be saved," then your brother will still leave you soon, no doubt, but when you leave us here, and you go on before us, then you WILL SEE HIM AGAIN, and there will never again from that point forward, "be a parting" as God has promised, in his Word.

Forgive my intrusion, reading from some self righteous do gooder is the last thing on earth you need right now for sure.  But the truth is, a preacher asked me one time, (when I was 31, right before I got "born again") and the question was, "Quentin, if you died right now, are you sure from the Bible that you'd have a home in heaven?"  My answer was this...........  "yeah right, I'm sure all right, I'm  sure I'm going to hell, cause there's 10 commandments, and I've busted half of them wide open....................."

That was me, that was my answer, and it was true, I was headed straight to hell for the things I did in my teens and twenties. But I took the time to be a whosever, just long enough to call...... and it has changed my entire life, and all things have been added unto me.  If God will look at the sacrifice of his own son, Jesus, and save "A wretch like me" on his behalf, how much MORE THEN will he save your brother.  A good and upright man.
I pray that you give God a chance, even if you only do it for your Brother's sake before he goes, or his daughters sake, after he's gone.  Find a Bible preaching church that doesn't get into ceremonies, or "new versions" of the Bible, but one that takes the old-school original translation straight from Greek and Hebrew KING JAMES BIBLE and who stands behind a pulpit and preaches God's Word with boldness and authority.  Find yourself a church like that where you live.  Take your brother and his daughter there.

Forgive my intrusion, may our God Bless.
-Q

[jigs]

My thought's and prayer's go out in this difficult time.

[Super Dave]

Sucks, Eric.

Been there with the cancer thing a couple times very closely.  And I've been on the outskirts with those who have it and with those that beat it.  Additionally, we've all been with people that WILL get it. 

Be the friend your brother expects.  Drop me a note too.  Prayers are already sent. 

[mikendzel]

Speedballer, prayers sent.

[chaplain220]

Eric, praying for your bro, and for you.  Faith comes easily for only a few, for the rest of us it is served upon a platter of despair, pain, suffering, betrayal, and the ends of our ropes.  But it comes.  With or without miracles, Christ exists,  there will be life. 

[red900]

Prayin now... 

Stay Strong

[weggieman]

Damned cancer............ I'm so tired of losing people to cancer.
I somehow beat it but I know way too many people that have suffered this tragedy.

Eric, my prayers are there for your brother, your niece, you and the rest of your family.

[DragonSlayer]

Prayers sent