Welcome Home: A Journey of Deeper Faith Through Cancer

By Carol Cox Taylor

Carol Taylor meets cancer for the second time in her life. It has been a formable enemy who has returned to displace, hurt, inconvenience and to ultimately destroy her life. Realizing the true enemy to be the Evil one who does by scripture says to come, kill and destroy and that this cancer to be a weapon formed against her, she learns to lean even heavier on her true help.

Faith for the journey through cancer is a must for the child of God. Through faith, strength is drawn from God Himself who is willing and wants to be close every step of the way. How shallow words seem to be when said that one believes in God and once trouble comes, fall apart. Fear is something from the Evil one. Fear is an emotion everyone has. Its when fear is greater than faith, it becomes a problem for the Christian.

Carol had to walk by faith alone on this trip through her cancer. Many times she had to concentrate on that one voice that spoke to her and have faith when she felt it to be silent. Several times she had to speak the words of Job, Though you slay me, yet I will trust You.

God is faithful and when, from the desire of the heart His child prays, show yourself strong through this trial, He answers in the most amazing way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512762068

Carol Cox Taylor

Carol Taylor now serves as a Medication Administrator at the Appalachian Children’s Home, after being in the position of receptionist for 10 years. She has experience of serving as Secretary to the Dean of Students of Clear Creek Baptist Bible College for eight years and worked for the Veteran’s Administration in medical records. She lives with her husband, Jerry, in London, Kentucky. They have four children and nine grandchildren. She loves her Savior Jesus Christ, her family, and her faith family. She finds enjoyment in visiting Vendor Malls looking for antiques and treasured finds. “She never meets a stranger” says everyone who knows her.

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Copyright © 2016 Carol Cox Taylor.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

All Scripture quotations in this publications are from The Message. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-6207-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6208-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6206-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016917880

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/10/2016

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1: What I Learned the First Time

Chapter 2: Positive Results, Negative News

Chapter 3: Unsure of the Next Step

Chapter 4: To the Wilderness I Go

Chapter 5: That’s It

Chapter 6: Hitting a Brick Wall

Chapter 7: Details Worked Out

Chapter 8: Preparation Is the Key

Chapter 9: It’s Time to Go

Chapter 10: Stay Positive

Chapter 11: The Waiting Game

Chapter 12: A New Body

Chapter 13: One Step at a Time

Chapter 14: Going Home

Chapter 15: Good News, Great God

Chapter 16: It’s Not Good-bye

Chapter 17: Anxiously Counting the Days

Chapter 18: Freedom to Laugh Out Loud

Chapter 19: Where Love Is

Afterword

I

dedicate this book my husband, my children, my grandchildren and to those who need or are seeking hope and a deeper faith in the one who can provide it. My desire is that Jesus Christ be lifted up and that the Father is glorified.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

M y heart is filled with gratitude toward those who lifted me up to the Father. My faith family at The Creek Church kept in constant contact through text messages, Facebook posts, calls, and visits, making sure I never felt alone.

I cannot personally thank all those who came to my aid, because I don’t know who they are; many people responded to prayer requests from my friends on Facebook.

My gratitude and respect goes to all the professionals who cared for me from discovery of my illness to post operation. My surgeons and their teams, I feel, are the best in their field.

I would like to thank those who were closest to me on my journey. My husband, Jerry, my children, my in-law children, my grandchildren, and so many other family members were always encouraging me and showing their love. My friend Kim Withrow regularly let me know of her prayers. My Florida friend, Carol Wallace, who talked with me every Tuesday until I was on the other side of this journey.

Last but certainly not least, my friend, Savior, and constant companion, Jesus Christ, who wrapped me in His love and gave me peace like a warm blanket to keep away the shivers of fear. Jesus, all the praise and the glory go to You. You led and carried me. You brought glory to Yourself, and I am humbled that You used me to do that. Your work was a wonder, and I never want to get over it.

INTRODUCTION

T here are many kinds of discrimination in our world, but there is one thing that does not discriminate. It does not care who you are, where you live, how much money you have, or about your gender or race.

It is one of the most dreaded words that can be spoken in a doctor’s office about yourself or a family member.

I am referring to the C-word, a substitute for what many cannot bear to say: cancer.

Every year the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and other organizations report statistics on how many will face this terrible disease, and the increases are staggering. As many as one in three people will deal with this life-altering diagnosis on some level. Apparently it is not a matter of if but when it will happen. How prepared are you, and how prepared can you be?

What happens to your faith if you are a child of God and you hear this word applied to you? Do you lose your faith, or does it become stronger?

At times you must feel your way through the journey of having cancer. I know because I took this journey not once but twice. The second time brought me to a deeper place in my faith. Thank you for looking on as I revisit my memories. I praise the one who was with me every second of the journey. My Savior, Jesus Christ, deserves all the glory for the outcome of this time in my life. Everyone is invited to share in the love of Christ.

CHAPTER 1

What I Learned the First Time

T here I was, sitting in the room where I had sat annually for six years. The first time was not so great, and I would soon learn that this visit would not be either. I was reflecting on the first year. I had not expected the outcome of that day.

Women, if you have been through this, you know how it goes. You get your annual mammogram, and a medical professional tells you, Don’t get dressed yet so we can check the pictures. That first trip brought me to a lumpectomy with crystal-clear margins in 2006.

When you get a diagnosis of any disease, you google, you study, and you research what makes it tick. You hope the research helps you understand what you can do or not do to make the disease go away and not return. That is exactly what I did. I am a Google girl, and I put in countless hours online. I studied what cancer is and what it does to the body. I received an education that I would not have chosen, but later I realized that it was a great gift.

I found out about treatments, the side effects of each, and what they do to the body. I learned more about nutrition. I did well for six years. I never looked or felt better.

God led me to many people who helped me and whom I could help with my testimony about what I had experienced. God allowed me to meet and talk to a man named Bill Howell, who believed in holistic healing.

Two years before my cancer, I had started dabbling with the study of herbs versus synthetic medicines, but that was as far as it went until my cancer.

I was amazed at what Bill had learned sixteen years before our meeting. His wife had died of complications from cancer treatments within six months of her diagnosis.

When Bill found himself facing cancer, he decided to do things differently. With the knowledge he gained and with a change in eating habits, among other things, he could say he was cancer-free without the standard treatments. He told me that he had decided he would kill himself or cure himself. God allowed him to learn things that brought him a long, healthy life. He told me that at seventy-three he was stronger and healthier and had more energy than he had had since he was a very young man.

I thank God for bringing Bill into my life when He did. I benefited from