Jim: This episode is part of the Top 10 Tour, 100K Strong, our way of celebrating 100,000 downloads by revisiting the conversations our community loves most. New episodes are coming in September, so make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss a thing. Now, enjoy this episode.
Kathy: Living in Florida, you get two different kinds of people.
You want the people that wanna be healed, and then those that are saying, "I, you know, I, I'm older. I wanna live- Yeah ... drink and be m- merry and happy." And I always say, "Well, you know, that's a good attitude, but sometimes the body starts to break down." Right. "And if I'm gonna get older, I don't wanna be in a walker."
Right. "I don't wanna, you know, I want, I don't wanna have to get up from the chair and go, 'Oh.'" "I wanna be able to be flexible and be able to move and be joyful and not be miserable- Mm-hmm ... and, and pain."
Announcer: You're listening to the I Am Healing Strong podcast, a part of the Healing Strong organization, the number one network of holistic cancer support groups in the world.
Each week, we bring you stories of hope, real stories that will encourage you as you navigate your way on your own journey to health. Now, here's your host, stage four cancer thriver, Jim Mann.
Jim: Welcome to the I Am Healing Strong podcast. We're doing this recording at the Met Church in Houston. So if you're listening to this and you missed it, sorry about that.
It's too late now. If you were here, you know how, what a wonderful time we've had, and how we all have green between our teeth, 'cause we've eaten healthy. Yeah. So I can eat this later on, right? All the stuff I've saved between my teeth. It's so sad. But I have a guest with me today, Cathy Gilkey, right?
Kathy: Yes.
Jim: All the way from Florida.
Kathy: Uh-huh.
Jim: Did you drive here?
Kathy: No, we flew.
Jim: Ah. See, you're more normal. I drove from South Carolina. How long have you been a part of Healing Strong?
Kathy: Actually since, um, 2017.
Jim: Okay. All
Kathy: right. I've known about Healing Strong. I heard it on the radio, an advertisement in California.
Jim: Wow.
Kathy: When I lived there.
On
Jim: the radio?
Kathy: Yes.
Jim: That's crazy. Mm-hmm. Okay, and then did you, did you join a group then, or?
Kathy: I did. I joined the group from Rancho Cucamonga.
Jim: Oh, that little group.
Kathy: With Don. Yeah, that little group, and I sat under them for about a year, and- Wow ... learned a lot. And then was, um, going to launch one in Lake Arrowhead, California.
Mm. But then COVID landed, so that-
Jim: Ah. I've heard of that.
Kathy: Yeah.
Jim: Yes. So tell me, you got a diagnosis.
Kathy: I did.
Jim: Right, when was
Kathy: that? That was 2017.
Jim: Okay.
Kathy: I woke up one Sunday morning and stretched and felt a lump underneath my armpit.
Jim: Mm.
Kathy: And went to the doctor, and, um, they diagnosed me with follicular lymphoma.
Jim: Wow.
Kathy: And, uh, wanted to do chemo and radiation. And, um, of course, I was shocked and very surprised and very fearful.
Jim: Right.
Kathy: Um, I know I did not want to do chemo and radiation because I had seen a lot of my family and friends, saw things I didn't like, and didn't know when I left the doctor's office, um, what exactly I was gonna do.
But I knew God did, and so I trusted Him. And, uh, my husband said, "What do you mean you're not gonna do chemo?" Yeah. And I said, "Well- So, to my surprise, a friend that I had just met about two months prior to that had come to our church at an event, and had sat next to me, and we had become friends. And so after my diagnosis, she had called me up just to see how I was doing, so I mentioned to her that I was diagnosed.
And she said, "Well, you know what, at this church that I'm going to, we've had a few people that are following this fella out of, um, Lake Havasu." So I said, "Well, let me have his number." And so I called him, and he was a fire captain, and his wife had stage four kidney cancer. Hmm. And he had put together a protocol, and s- his, is, uh, helping people, and that's part of his ministry.
So I sat under him and did the, what he had suggested, as opposed to doing the chemo and radiation. So I juiced for 100 days.
Jim: Wow.
Kathy: And I didn't eat anything solid. I just juiced, um, 90%, uh, greens, and just apple with it, or whatever that percentage is.
Jim: Right.
Kathy: And within four, within the h- 100 days, um, the tumor had shrunk from a four to a one.
Jim: Wow.
Kathy: And, um, oncologist said when I came back, "Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll never be back in here again."
Jim: Hmm, that's good.
Kathy: Well, yeah. Then I started doing, following that, but then, uh, another twist came in my life when we decided to move to Florida, and, um, sold our house in California the first day, then became homeless.
And so my, uh, husband's brother said, "W- we live in Arkansas. We have an extra bedroom. Come and live with us." So I gave up my church of 28 years, and family, and, and friends, and sold everything, and moved to Arkansas, which was for me a culture shock.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: And ended up getting depressed. I had never been depressed, so I really didn't-
Jim: Wow
Kathy: realize it.
Jim: Right.
Kathy: And the eating was different, so just a lot of, uh, emotional stuff started arising in my life that, um, I hadn't dealt with before. And so the cancer came back, and I've, how I found that out was I had a tumor. I had pain in my back, so I went to the emergency, and they said, "Yeah." When I went to, and then I went to an oncologist, and they said that I had a tumor on my spine, and that if I wanted to still walk, that I needed to do radiation.
So I was very scared and fearful. Right. So I did the 10 rounds of radiation. Um, they said, "You have to do, you need to do the chemo, too." And so again, I s- I said, "Okay." So I went in, and I'd started one round, but for me- My throat started to close.
Announcer: Hmm.
Kathy: My fingers started getting numb. My toes started to get tingle.
So I wave the doctor in. I said, uh, you know, "Something's happening here." Right. So they had to, um, reverse it and pump me with, uh, Benadryl, and reverse that, and I never went back. I started the process of, uh, natural healing again with greens and the diet and, and I, and I sought out emotional healing from a doctor, and-
Jim: Hmm
Kathy: I really, that's a p- um, a part of the journey that I thought I had dealt with, but I guess there's different degrees that are, are, um, very important to the body, soul, and, and mind. And, um, right now I'm in remission, so I'm grateful for that, and-
Jim: Yes ...
Kathy: doing well, and got a lot of energy, and excited to launch, um, a Healing Strong in Englewood, Florida.
Jim: Wow. So after you did the 100, was it 100 days of- Mm-hmm ... of juicing- Yes ... what was your diet like after that?
Kathy: Afterwards, I, uh, well, I would say within that, that year I started adding a little bit more meat. Okay. But I, I did add a little bit, uh... I still kept a lot of carbs out. Okay. A lot of fruits and vegetables, added fruit, vegetables, um, but-
Jim: So you ate healthy-
Kathy: Yeah
pretty much, yeah. Yeah, a- absolutely.
Jim: It wasn't like you went back to hamburgers and pizza and stuff? No. No. Which, you know, lots of people do- Yeah ... 'cause they're like, "Hey, the cancer's gone." No, no. "I'm, I'm fine now. I can do whatever." But- Yeah ...
Kathy: yeah.
Jim: Yeah. It, it comes back 'cause it's like what you were doing before that caused the cancer to grow.
Kathy: Yeah. I, you know, I was a person who... I knew that God was speaking to my heart, uh, because I, uh, I was a s- sugar addict. Mm. You know, I, and when they say that- And there- People, I've heard people say that, you know, fighting the, the cravings of sugar is harder than-
Jim: Yeah ...
Kathy: what? A drug, a h- a horrible drug.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: I believe that because it, it is not easy to, you know.
So staying away from sugar is still a little bit of a battle, but I'm, I'm, I recognize it.
Jim: Mm-hmm.
Kathy: So.
Jim: Yeah, that's the first thing I cut out was, 'cause I've always heard that sugar feeds cancer. So as soon as I got my diagnosis, I said... And I ate a lot of sugar, too, which- Yeah ... you know, most people do- Yeah ... eat too much sugar, but I ate way too much sugar.
Yeah. Because I was always skinny.
Kathy: Mm-hmm.
Jim: Got a really high metabolism. I could eat anything. Anything you
Kathy: wanted.
Jim: I ate healthy, but I also ate a lot of unhealthy stuff.
Kathy: Yes.
Jim: And, 'cause people thought it was funny, and they'd give it to me.
Kathy: Mm-hmm.
Jim: And I'd eat it.
Kathy: Yeah.
Jim: Yeah. As soon as I cut that out, I lost 25 pounds, which- Wow
a skinny guy should not lose 25 pounds, but obviously it was unhealthy 25 pounds.
Kathy: Yes.
Jim: Yes. And people thought, "Oh, it's the cancer." But it wasn't. It was me being healthier.
Kathy: Yeah, yeah.
Jim: I'm still too skinny, but, you know,
Kathy: I don't know. Oh, you look great.
Jim: Hey, thank you. That's really what I wa- I was getting at. Now I got you recorded saying that.
Okay, so what, uh, and you moved to Fl- Why did you move to Florida? Just, uh, you like the humidity?
Kathy: My youngest son, um, and his wife had a, had a, has a baby. Oh.
Jim: And, uh-
Kathy: The grandkid thing. Yeah, follow the grandkids here.
Jim: Totally makes sense.
Kathy: Mm-hmm.
Jim: Which I don't have any grandkids yet-
Kathy: I- ... but
Jim: I understand ...
Kathy: I wanna be an influence in his life, and so- Yeah
yeah. So- Well, that's good ... I did the move.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: And I let him know it. Now he's 10 now, and so, but I watched him since he was, uh, six weeks old after- Wow ... my daughter-in-law went back to work, and so.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: Yeah.
Jim: Yeah, okay. That makes sense. Everyone understands that one.
Kathy: Yes, yes.
Jim: Um, do you miss California at all?
Kathy: A little. You know, it, it was a beautiful state.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: It's changed a lot. Yeah, true. So I don't really miss that right now.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: Yeah. Some friends and family, like I said, I had a, I have lots of church friends. But, you know, phones and texting and social media keep us still connected.
Jim: Yeah. That's true. That's true.
So you're in remission now you say?
Kathy: Yes.
Jim: Uh, what kind of protocol are you following? Just still, just eating healthy or-
Kathy: Yes, yes ... doing a
Jim: lot of juicing?
Kathy: I s- I'm still juicing, yes. And, um, one of the things that I maybe wanna share with the viewers is w- when I was juicing, it really wasn't considered juicing, 'cause I was new at this holistic- Mm-hmm
new n- natural type of stuff. So I did what I could do. I had a, uh, Bullet. So I'm the one that put all the, the carrots and all the, the greens and celery and everything in the Bullet, and just d- did that. Yeah. And that's, that was my juicing at that time.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: It wasn't w- how I do it now, but it worked. And so, you know, do I have a expensive juicer now?
Nope, it's a Black & Decker. But what I've learned is, a secret is that with that pulp, I put it through again. Mm. And it's amazing how much more you get the second and third time around.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: Even in the, in the lesser expensive ones.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: And God is, you know, He can meet us anywhere.
Jim: Yep, definitely. Did your husband get on board right away?
'Cause he wanted you to do what the doctors wanted you to do, obviously. 'Cause, you know, that makes sense. He's scared of losing you.
Kathy: Yes.
Jim: Yeah. But, uh, what, when did he get on board?
Kathy: He's always been supportive- Right ... uh, for whatever I choose to do. Uh-huh. Most of the, you know, besides just being scared about that.
Jim: Right.
Kathy: But as far as eating, he's, he's not on board. Um, he's from the South. He's in, from Oklahoma. So, and he's 80, um, 2 right now, and so he says, "I'm, I'm not gonna change." So I had to learn to, um, let him have his journey and let me have my journey. So what we do right now is, um, we both cook in the kitchen.
He makes his meal, I make mine, and we eat. But we have separate meals, and-
Jim: Wow ...
Kathy: we're good with that. It works for us.
Jim: Yeah. I mean, he saw what, what your diet has done for you, so obviously he's not gonna fight that.
Kathy: No, no. And he's very healthy. He golfs three times a week, and very active, and has a, a real positive mind.
So he's got a lot of, um-
Jim: Yeah ...
Kathy: good things.
Jim: A lot of things going for
Kathy: him. Yes, yes.
Jim: So what, uh, then, now you say you're gonna start a new group in Florida.
Kathy: Yes.
Jim: Uh, 'cause there's none in that area, right?
Kathy: Correct.
Jim: Take it. Yeah, that's what I did with mine. I looked up in Greenville, South Carolina thinking, "There's gotta be a group or two here."
But- Yeah ... 'cause this is a very self, I mean, a very, uh, health conscious place. But- Yeah ... there wasn't any, so I started it myself Which is crazy 'Cause that's not something I'm really good at, but we meet anyway, go through the curriculum. But, um, now did you decide to do that just because there's none in the area and you just feel like- Mm
"Hey, I got this knowledge now. I need to share it with others"?
Kathy: Well, I, when I was diagnosed and I didn't know much about alternative medicine, uh, and I was, I felt very alone. I didn't have- Right ... anyone that I could talk to or share what I was going through. And so I would like to have that, you know, something where...
This is before I went to the Healing Strong in Rancho.
Jim: Okay.
Kathy: Okay. So I, and there's nothing here in Inglewood for anybody. I would like to have a place for people to come and be able to, you know, realize that th- there's like-minded people, I can learn something different, that you don't have, that there's more than just traditional medicine.
There's a lot more different protocols out there. But people need to be educated, and they n- need to know about them. And so if we can bring that to the community, I think that's a beautiful thing.
Jim: Yeah, I mean, yeah, and of course, it's great you went to the, like, the best group- Yes ... in the whole- Yes ... they won a, they won an award this weekend.
A-
Kathy: absolutely.
Jim: So yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For some reason, my group didn't win an award. I don't, I
Kathy: don't- It's okay. We're all good in God's eyes.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: But every- I'm gonna check that out ... every group.
Jim: We would win an award for the coolest place to meet.
Kathy: Oh, I bet, yes. Being
Jim: at the park, but-
Kathy: Yeah, yeah ...
Jim: a- apparently it won the category.
Kathy: Well, we're, where we're gonna meet is, um, in our church there's been some business people who have come together and purchased a medical building. Oh. And in this medical building, uh, it's called EPIC, Empowering People In Christ. Hmm. And it's a facility where people come to Florida, and they don't know where housing is, where the, where the health, um, institutes are, where they can get things.
And so it's a place to help people get established in the community. Right. And so they have, uh, different rooms available. And so they asked me if I wanted to host a Healing Strong there. And so- Wow ... of course I said yes, and so I so appreciate-
Jim: Yeah ...
Kathy: what God has done in my life, you know, and walking me through all these different- Journeys is such an adventure with lo- Yeah
walking with the Lord, and He's just doing stuff every day.
Jim: Yeah. What, now, what's your background? What did, what did you do for a living or?
Kathy: Actually, I was a florist.
Jim: Florist.
Kathy: Okay. And so I was with a lot of chemicals.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: Yeah. Oh, yeah In the florist industry. Every flower arrangement that went out was sprayed with chemicals.
The foam, it says right on the box that it, it carries, can cause- Right ... cause cancer.
Jim: Yeah. That's good, yeah. I worked at a gre- a huge greenhouse in Florida. Did you? Mm-hmm. And, uh, out in the sun all the time. Yes ... and spraying all kinds of stuff. Yes,
Kathy: yes
Jim: So, yeah, not, not real bright.
Kathy: Yeah. And then I, uh, I left there.
My mom came to live with us for 14 years.
Jim: Mm-hmm.
Kathy: And, uh, my husband retired, so I was thinking, "Hmm, there's something wrong with this picture." So I sold, and then I went into counseling, um, at our church and, um...
Jim: Wow.
Kathy: It's easy to counsel... Well, it's not easy, but it's something to counsel someone else, but there's so much to learn yourself.
Jim: Right.
Kathy: You know? And so with that inner healing. And so I just came from the emotional healing s- seminar right now they just had. And so I'm looking forward to looking more into that.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: Mm-hmm.
Jim: So your background is, is pretty good for you to have a group, uh, being a counselor and stuff. Mm-hmm. So you'd be good with helping people finding solutions.
Kathy: Yes.
Jim: Yes. Yeah. I wish I had that background. I can open the door at my place- Oh ... and turn the alarm off. That's my gift. And then I push the button to, uh, to play the, uh, videos of the curriculum which is, you know, that's all the information right there anyway.
Kathy: Yes.
Jim: So as soon as we finish with the curriculum, I might be stuck.
Kathy: I don't think so. You're very warm and easy to talk to.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: There's that. So thank you for that for me because I'm, yeah.
Jim: Yeah. People get a little nervous on the podcast- Yes ... even though there's nothing to be nervous about i- if you regu- realize, hey, that guy can do it, so o- obviously anybody can do it. Yes.
So yeah. Yeah, this is just two people sitting down, having a conversation at a coffee shop without the coffee.
Kathy: Yeah.
Jim: Which I could use some right now. So where do you see this going from now? Is this like your, is this your, uh- Your project in life right now is working with people like that and developing that group or-
Kathy: Yeah, I think that's my assignment.
Yeah. That's what I like to call it. There you go. My assignment for right now. Yeah. Yes. Yeah.
Jim: Excellent. Yeah. And so, a- and you are continually healing. Are you in total remission, um, as the doctors say?
Kathy: Yes. They, they... I... Now he's wants to see me every six months.
Jim: Right.
Kathy: Yeah.
Jim: So how long has it been since they declared the remission?
Oh,
Kathy: three months.
Jim: Okay.
Kathy: Mm-hmm.
Jim: And o- once you hit the five years, that's when they say, "Okay, you're clear," right?
Kathy: Yeah.
Jim: Which I just hit, by the way.
Kathy: Congratulations.
Jim: Thank you. Yes. I don't wanna brag, but yeah.
Kathy: Yes, yes.
Jim: I like that. And so they say, "Hey, we don't have to see you m- except for once a year."
Kathy: Yeah.
Jim: Which in one way makes me nervous, and in other ways, like, "Why?"
You know?
Kathy: Yeah. Yeah.
Jim: I got the right mindset. You know, I'm eating right, I'm exercising. Uh, I've forgiven everybody.
Kathy: Yes. Yeah.
Jim: Actually, it's easy for me to forgive people 'cause I don't remember what they did, so. So it's like an automatic forgiveness. You did what? I don't remember that.
Kathy: And that's one good part of getting older, isn't it?
Jim: Yeah. Who are you? So yeah, it's, uh, it's good. But yeah, enjoying life in Florida and, uh, and hum- if you can get over the humidity.
Kathy: Yes. Yes.
Jim: Are you used to that now?
Kathy: I wouldn't say used to it.
Jim: Yeah. It's something else. But at least you have the Gulf breezes coming at you, right? Mm-hmm.
Kathy: Mm-hmm.
Jim: You're on the Gulf side, right?
Yes,
Kathy: yes, I am.
Jim: Yeah. The part I lived in was just no breezes or something.
Kathy: We found a, a beautiful church and beautiful people there. You know, the church is the people, and, and so a lot of different groups. I have a home group at my home for women coming in and, uh- Oh ... just active with, uh, Celebrate Recovery.
Jim: Uh-huh.
Kathy: And I love that. I'm involved in that, and I'll be, um, hosting a st- um, step study this coming year, January.
Jim: Right. So,
Kathy: yeah.
Jim: Okay. Now, is this the first convention you've come to for Healing Strong?
Kathy: It is. It is.
Jim: Mm-hmm. Okay. Yeah, my first one was 2018-
Kathy: Okay ... '
Jim: cause I was diagnosed in 2016.
Kathy: I see.
Jim: So yeah, and I stumbled across this, again, like everyone else, through Chris Wark.
Kathy: Mm-hmm.
Jim: At his, uh, you know, his, um, Square One. Yes. And then I heard about that, and I thought, "Hey, that's in Atlanta. That's pretty close"-
Kathy: Uh-huh ...
Jim: uh, to where I was living. So yeah, this is my second ordeal here, and the fact that they're celebrating 10 years as a nonprofit and it's growing all the time is amazing.
Kathy: It's, it's, it's beautiful. You know, you know, when I... Living in Florida, you get two different kinds of people. You want the people that wanna be healed, and then those that are saying, "I, you know, I, I'm older. I wanna live, dream- Yeah ... to be merry and happy." And I always say, "Eh. You know, that's a good attitude, but sometimes the body starts to break down."
Right. "And if I'm gonna get older, I don't wanna be in a walker." Right. "I don't wanna... You know, I want... I don't wanna have to get up from the chair and go, 'Oh.' " "I wanna be able to be flexible and be able to move and be joyful and not be miserable- Mm-hmm ... and, and in pain." So why not? So there's two different outlooks, and so I'm holding- Yeah
I'm hoping that, you know, that people will see and come to this and see the benefit of it.
Jim: Yes.
Kathy: And really see the, the goodness, that your body can, you know, heal-
Jim: Right Yeah, my dad, he passed away at 96.
Kathy: Wow.
Jim: So it's nice, long life. Yes. And he's ... But the thing about him, he, I mean, he ate everything. He did have a lot of dessert, so, But he ate healthy otherwise, and he was in construction, so he's always working, so that was his exercise.
Yes. And he was one speed. My dad was one speed. You couldn't hurry him for nothing. But he didn't stress out over anything. He worried about his kids, of course, but-
Kathy: Uh-huh ...
Jim: but yeah, he was never stressed. He was always calm, and he was a little prayer warrior. But he lived to 96. He probably would've lived longer except for they separated him and my wife.
Oh. My wife. His wife.
Kathy: Uh-huh.
Jim: Because he had to go through some rehab. He had fallen- Oh ... and he had to work it, and, and that's he, he's never- Yeah ... been away from her and it, that basically is what took him out. Oh, that's
Kathy: heartbreaking. Which is,
Jim: it was sad.
Kathy: It was. Yeah.
Jim: But he also was ready to go. Mm-hmm, yeah. So 96, that's a pretty full life.
Kathy: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: Yeah.
Jim: And my mom lived to 91, almost 92. But she had dementia, so that, I guess that's what kinda took her out, but she was pleasant all the way, so yeah.
Kathy: Wow. Very nice.
Jim: So, so I got some genes. I can, I got another 30 years to go. That's right. I'm 66, so.
Kathy: That's, uh, yeah, that's what my husband says.
I've got good genes, and I said, "Yes, you do." His parents, his mom lived to 104. Wow. Yeah. And, and, and there's a family of 10, and all of them lived well into their 90s.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: So.
Jim: As we all probably should.
Kathy: Yeah.
Jim: If we take care of ourselves.
Kathy: Yes. Well, we have the, we're up against so many toxins- Yeah ... and chemicals and stuff today that I don't know we had that many that long ago.
Jim: Yeah. That's true. My parents were born in the '20s, so they didn't have all that back then, but ... And most people are not totally aware of what it does to us, which is what Healing Strong is kinda like getting that education out there. Yeah. 'Cause, you know, I always thought these people were crazy. Uh, I was just in, uh, sitting in with Jane Re- uh, Barlow.
Uh-huh. And, uh, and she grew up as a hippie.
Kathy: Mm.
Jim: And of course, you know, I didn't grow up as a hippie, and those people were just strange to me. Yes. But now they make sense. Yes. And she's totally healthy.
Kathy: Yeah.
Jim: And, uh, and she just, I mean, she knows that God created all these plants for a reason. Yeah. Then we come along and have processed food- No
and try to make things better. Yes. Yeah. And that's what's, you know, hurting everybody, but yeah. What, what would you say to someone who is listening right now, who just got the diagnosis? Of course, you know the fear that comes with that, and you're just devastated when you first get it thinking, "Oh my gosh, my life is about over right now."
'Cause I mean, that's what I thought. I'm not gonna make Christmas, 'cause it was in September. What do you say to someone who has just gotten that diagnosis and they're listening to this podcast right now?
Kathy: You know the verse that comes to my mind is Jeremiah 29:11 and that's what I hung onto. That I have a purpose and a plan for you for good and not for evil.
Jim: Mm-hmm.
Kathy: And He always gives us hope. Never give up on hope and never give up. That there's alwa- there's a way, and staying positive and finding out what, uh, where you wanna go, draw up a plan, and listen to people who wanna speak love and life into you. Um, stay away from ne- negativity, and, uh, find others that are like-minded.
Jim: Right.
Kathy: And that wanna build you up
Jim: Yeah. Which sounds like a Healing Strong group.
Kathy: Yes, it does. Yeah.
Jim: Yes, that's the, that's the one thing that I've noticed in Healing Strong groups is what people like the most is, is hearing other people's stories. Mm. And they are encouraged by that.
Kathy: Yes.
Jim: And even when they come into the meeting and they're kind of down because they just got some bad news maybe.
Mm. They're encouraged once they leave, 'cause they- Yeah ... hear other people's, you know, what they're doing. And everybody's different, they do different things. You don't follow someone else's protocol just 'cause they're doing that. Yeah. You gotta know
Kathy: yourself. I know people always say the, the s- the scripture, "I didn't give you a spirit of fear- Right
but of a sound mind." And it, it's hard to, to push away that fear.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: But God is greater and God is bigger. And we, that's something that we just have to constantly retell ourselves over and over.
Jim: Yeah.
Kathy: I serve a big God. And, um, He, it's He, what is His will? And I believe His will is for us to live until He says so.
Jim: Yeah, till He's done with us here. That's what I figure. My cousin, my younger cousin- Mm-hmm ... he got diagnosed same time I did. Of course, first of all, he list- we're not bashing doctors, but he listened to doctors who said, uh, "It doesn't matter what you eat."
Kathy: Mm-hmm.
Jim: You know, in fact, he eat more donuts to keep your weight up.
Kathy: Mm-hmm.
Jim: And they just chemoed him for, for five years, and he passed away. I was at his funeral- Wow ... you know, cancer-free, and he was a wonderful person. Yeah. In fact, at the funeral, I was, I was so touched by that. They were talking about, they named the fruits of the spirit, and they go, you know, "Dave, he nailed every one of these things."
And I thought, gosh, this, it's so true. Yeah. He was like the perfect picture- Mm ... of the fruits of the spirit. And I'm like, said, "Well, maybe God wasn't finished in the, I haven't done what I'm here for yet," so.
Kathy: Yes, yes. Yeah.
Jim: Dave was.
Kathy: Yeah,
Jim: yes. That's what I'm saying anyway. Yeah.
Kathy: I was telling somebody earlier, well, we have to die to get to heaven unless the Rapture comes.
Yeah. But, but, you know, to get to heaven, we do, we are gonna have to die- Yeah ... at some point. Like I said, it's just trusting the Lord, and trusting the Lord, really trusting the Lord, that's been my number, I mean, that's, that's what I would paint on this wall. Trust in the Lord, because trusting Him-
Jim: Yeah
Kathy: surrendering, giving everything to Him, and it's more about Him than it is me.
Jim: Yes.
Kathy: Because He's, He's greater, and He's living inside of us. That's the truth. And
Jim: He knows a little bit more than we do.
Kathy: He does. Yeah. Absolutely.
Jim: That's the rumor on the street anyway.
Kathy: Yes.
Jim: Well, Cathy, I appreciate you stopping by in, in our little makeshift studio here at the convention.
Yeah. And I'm glad I got to meet you, and I'm glad you get to hear all these speakers and- And, uh, see you at the 20-year anniversary.
Kathy: Yes, yes. Well, thank you for the opportunity to share what the Lord's done in my life.
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