by John Phelps | Sep 22, 2021 | Uncategorized
No, I’m not going to space. I have absolutely no desire to leave planet earth. There are lots of places that I would like to see in this beautiful world. I want to go to Greece, Turkey and Rome and walk where Paul walked. I want to go to Maine and eat Maine lobster until I can’t eat anymore lobster. I would like to go to San Francisco and Lake Tahoe. I could go on and on and on. So much I want to do.
My next trip is into an MRI tube for radiation treatment. Tomorrow, September 23rd will begin my six weeks of radiation combined with oral chemo pills. I will take anti-nausea at 2:00 pm. Then I will take a chemo pill at 3:00 p.m. At 4:00 pm I will undergo radiation for about 15-20 minutes. I will get radiation five days a week from Monday through Friday for six weeks. I will take oral chemo daily for six weeks. I should be done with my first six week cycle in the first week of November. Pray that the side effects of the treatment will be minimal and that I will be able to continue with my work in some capacity. Of course pray that the treatment is successful and that the stage 4 Glioblastoma does not grow! Pray that God will give me peace and courage through the process. Lift up my family that God will be their comfort and strength.
After this six week treatment cycle, I will be given four weeks for healing. They will want the swelling from radiation and chemo to go down in my brain. I will be given permission to travel during the month of November depending upon how I feel. I may attend an Evangelical Theological Society conference that I was looking forward to attending before all this happened November 16-18. I hope to visit family in Jackson, Mississippi and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I really am looking forward to visiting friends up in the mountains of North Carolina at some point in the month of November. The first week in December I will have an MRI to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment and we’ll develop a plan from there.
I covet your prayers and will lean into your faith alongside of mine. Like the paralytic I am counting on your faith to bring me to the feet of Jesus for healing. I will do my best to keep you informed with as much detail as possible about my journey so that you can support me in prayer.
by John Phelps | Sep 18, 2021 | Uncategorized
Views from the valley of the shadow of cancer reveal the things that really matter most in life. What matters most in life is the gift of friendship and the relationships that develop over a lifetime. These are the gifts and treasures that should be held tight, nurtured and valued above all else in life. The Apostle Paul is an example of a man rich in relationship who has deep friendships. Philippians 2:19-21 says, “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon,that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” Paul and Tim were tight, and Paul knew that Timothy had his back! What a gift loyal friends are who stand with us when times are tough. God gives us such profound wisdom in Proverbs 17:17 about the role of friendship in our lives saying, “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” As I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death, it is the love of friends that has sustained me. I have tangibly felt the love and presence of God in the hugs, calls, texts, and emails of friends.
I have been moved to tears more times than I can count by those who have reached out to me with words of encouragement and prayers of faith. My high school classmates from Madison Ridgeland Academy have touched my soul so deeply with their words of love and hope. It has been a long time since I have been in high school but so many have been so kind, so loving, so giving, so faith filled. I wasn’t the most popular person in high school, but the cool kids have blessed me more than they’ll ever know as I walk through this valley. Noel and Amy you will forever be special heart friends that I cherish. Billy Young I was so moved by your tangible expression of care and concern for me.
There are those who let me know almost daily that they are praying for me. Friends like Kirk Schiefelbein are a gift from the very hand of God. Men of God like Jackie Rome, Lane Grigsby and Wayne Austin are men that can be counted on! Petey and Bob you are men who stand with me and daily lighten my burden. Willie would never want to be singled out, but he is a man worthy of great honor who shows me Jesus in the way he loves and lives on a daily basis. Dennis you deserve a shout out because you have laid down your life in so many ways and shown me the love of Christ.
There is an inner circle of friends from Wellington, Florida that I have been blessed to do life together with for over 25 years. No matter the storm you have always been there for me. You fill my life with deep joy, love and laughter. You each are treasured gifts from God to me that I thank God for on a daily basis.
One of the highlights of my life was the bucket list dream of getting my doctorate. My life has been forever changed by the kindness and wisdom and scholarship of Dr. Scot McKnight. The friendships formed over the four years of studies with my doctoral cohort are so special to me. I truly love, admire and respect: Julie, Jeremy, Ivan, Dave, Pete, Dan, Josh, Jeff, Brandon and the Big “E”- Ernest.
If I have not mentioned you by name let me blame it on brain surgery and Glioblastoma. Please know that I have prayed for and thanked God for each person who has given financially to help me and my family during this season. I have wept with each gift knowing the love and sacrifice expressed. I honor and value all of you who are standing with me in the valley. To my Awakening family and church family, I love and miss you all. Britnie Bellamy thanks for holding the fort down and always taking things to next level greatness. Michael and Drenna Heiser it is one of the honors of my life to serve Jesus together with you.
More than any other person on planet earth, I am thankful for Baby Luv. She is my rock!! My kids affectionately known as Team Phelps are my reason for being and fighting. I am the proudest dad on planet earth and a blessed man to have you in my world. I’m so thankful for a dad who loves Jesus and is a man of the Word who lives by faith and prayer who constantly points me to Jesus. Big hugs and honor to all who read this blog. You matter to me more than you’ll ever know.
by John Phelps | Sep 15, 2021 | Uncategorized
The corny old action adventure show called the “A Team” always ended with the leader of the team saying, “I love it when a plan comes together.” In theology when we see the plan come together we call this the Providence of God. It means that God is in the details of life. Often Abraham followed God when he didn’t fully know the plan or how it would all come together. That’s how life works. We follow God’s providence and trust his plan. I love to see how Abraham trusted God to provide. Genesis 22:13-14 says, “When Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in the place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.
We have seen God’s providence demonstrated through my brain surgery and diagnosis of Stage 4 Glioblastoma brain cancer. When Karen told her 6th grade science class about my surgery and cancer a little boy came up to her and hugged her and cried with her. The next day Karen received an email from this boy’s mom that his uncle was one of the top ten Glioblastoma cancer researcher at world renowned Shands hospital in Gainesville, Florida. God is involved in the details of my treatment. It is quite possible that the radiologist who made my initial diagnosis of cancer is the parent of a child that Karen teaches. Also a parent of a child Karen teaches runs the 5th floor neurosurgery floor at Mayo that took such good care of me and got me home so quickly to be with my family.
THE PLAN IS COMING TOGETHER! I meet with my neuro-surgery team on Wednesday, Sept 22 at 11:00 a.m EST for them to remove the stitches from my surgical scar and give me the green light to start radiation and chemo treatments. The sooner we start in treating the cancer to stop its growth the better. I am scheduled for my first treatment of radiation and chemo on Thursday, September 23rd at 3:45 PM EST. The radiation blast is about 15-20 minutes long and one of the side affects is fatigue. I will take an oral chemo along with radiation. Radiation will take place 5 days a week for six weeks.
I find great comfort from the book of Philippians and Paul’s life. Paul knew what it was to suffer and experience trials. Here is what sustained Paul: I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, Philippians 1:3-4 I thank God for every single one of you who texted, emailed, called, encouraged and prayed for me and my family. You have nourished our souls and sustained us. We need you to stand with us, believe with us and like the paralytic bring us to the feet to Jesus
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP FINANCIALLY WITH THE MOUNTAIN OF MEDICAL BILLS WE FACE, HERE’S HOW. Friends we have done life together with for over 25 years from West Palm Beach will be managing a fund for us to help with medical bills. They will manage the fund with integrity and accountability. While we have good insurance, our deductible so far is $6200. No one knows the future in regards to clinical trial expenses and disability. If you would like to be informed of our needs, you can respond to this post by sending your email address in the comment section below. To be added to this email group, you can also email directly to a new email address that will be monitored by our friends: teamphelpsfamily@gmail.com. Our friends will communicate regularly about what our financial and medical needs are. I will be more transparent and open with this inner circle group of very trusted friends. I trust the Holy Spirit to guide and in no way presume anything of you.
I am a very blessed man. God has surrounded me with such good and Godly people. Many of you have walked with me through a lifetime of ministry and loved me well. No truer words could ever have been penned by the Apostle John of the people who have walked with me through life: Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 1 John 3:18 Words are not enough to express my gratitude and thankfulness for life long friends, the men and women in groups, fellow staff members in churches that I have served, students that I have taught. You have refreshed my soul and had my back during hard times.
by John Phelps | Sep 12, 2021 | Uncategorized
Most storms announce themselves with some warning. Weathermen can sometimes predict them well advance. Other times the signs are obvious. There are dark, ominous clouds that gather and the threat of rain is imminent. Then there is a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder.
There were no advanced signs that I had a cancerous brain tumor. Maybe looking book Baby Luv says I was angrier and grumpier than usual. I’ll blame all the bad attitudes and harsh language on that big bad Glioblastoma stage 4 cancer.
Thursday August 26th I was meeting with my good friend Willie Johnson for lunch. We were going to walk to the Five Points area from my office to find a little restaurant to enjoy together. As we walked to the restaurant Willie grew concerned. He kept asking me if I was okay. There was something off in the way I was walking and talking. He said, “You aren’t acting like yourself.” Ever the Marine, he took action. He whisked me away to the Mayo ER, and they suspected I was having a stroke. A quick CAT scan quickly revealed a monster mass in my brain. Willie, is a man of God who will forever be a hero of mine for his quick and decisive action that day.
I’ve had two friends pass away over the last few years from Glioblastoma cancer of the brain. I was very afraid about my future. I want to walk my girls down an aisle some day. I want to hold grandchildren. If I had to have this happen anywhere in the world, Jacksonville, Fl., and Mayo Clinic was maybe the best place on the planet for me and my family. We live within 10 minutes of a world class Mayo hospital.
On Monday, August 30th, around 5:00 pm I went in for brain surgery. They had to remove as much of the tumor as they could which was putting pressure on my brain. I was extremely blessed in that the tumor was located on my right temporal lobe. Any brain surgery is very dangerous. Physical and mental deficits are possibilities when you cut out parts of the brain. I had no idea what I would be like physically and mentally when I awakened, if I even awakened. My left temporal side would have had much greater risks to my speech, and the surgery would have had to be done while I was awake.
God was gracious, merciful and good to me through the surgery. I have no deficits. My mind and all my parts work for which I am eternally grateful. I’m so thankful I was not moved to the ICU among Covid patients after my surgery. My surgical team cared for me on the 5th floor nuero-surgical floor. Only My wife could be with me. I only stayed a few days in the hospital after my brain surgery. I was able to go home on Wednesday, September 1st. My physical strength is good, and I can care for myself. Being with my kids, family, and friends is healing to my soul.
The surgery was a great success when it comes to removing the cancerous tumor. They were able to remove 70% of the tumor which was a very positive outcome. I have a lovely scar to show for it. I’m now a perfect candidate for a zombie role or a Klingon role on Star Trek!
The rest of the tumor will have to be treated via chemo and radiation. It is important for treatment to start as soon as possible to make sure the tumor does not grow back. My scar is healing nicely, and I have a big meeting with my neuro-surgery team on September 22nd to see if stitches can be removed. Keep praying with us that there will be no seizures or set backs between now and September 22nd. If all goes according to plan on September 22nd, I will be cleared for radiation and chemo treatments to start as soon as September 23rd. My first round of treatment will run for 6 weeks. I will go through radiation Monday through Friday for six weeks along with oral chemo treatments.
