THE END

DEDICATION

A dedication is normally at the first of the book, but this one is for the final chapter of ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. It was too late to get it into the book before it was published, but I am directed by God to add one more chapter. I could not get to sleep because I was thinking about various people, who love the Lord with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strengths were dying. As I lay there tossing and turning I heard the voice of God in my spirit say,” you need to finish the book”. I argued with God that it was too late because the book was at the publishers to be printed, but I got up, dropped a letter to the publisher and told them I had one more chapter. For various reasons, the publisher did not see the letter and the book was dropped to Amazon. At the time I did not know that so I got up the next day and finished the chapter within an hour. I will be putting the final chapter on my website, offering the final chapter via email whoever wants it, possibly put on Kindle, but it seems good and fitting to put the Chapter in HEALING 101 (for those who don’t know, the Facebook Group dedicated to teaching healing and praying for those who need healing). Many do not know that Rena, Dottie Adcock Mershan and myself were a singing group in the ‘70s called SWEET SPIRIT. We went around and sang at various churches and meetings. In my mind, we sounded pretty good.

I dedicated this final chapter to my friend for 45+ years and a dear sister in the Lord, Rena Montgomery. As of this writing, Rena has stepped from earth to heaven. If it was not for Rena and her husband Gary, I would not be here on planet Earth, writing, teaching, and walking as a Christian. It is through their prayers that brought me back to the Lord and loved me unconditionally. Rena is now dancing before the Lord. I am sure that she immediately fell at His feet, but I am sure also that He reached down, raised her up and said, “dance, well done my faithful servant/sister.”

THE END: FINAL CHAPTER

Well, here we are at the end of the book on the will of God on earth as it is in heaven. I thought would end with thoughts about “the end” of our life on planet earth. Unless the Lord returns to collect the saints to take them home to the Father “Who art in heaven”, then we will cease from living, which means that we will physically die.

“And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men (women, humans) to die once, then after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)

This appointment of death came early on in the Garden as God gave directives about what they could and could not eat with the cause and effect of death.

“The Lord God commanded the man (the woman was not yet created), saying ‘from any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.”’ (Genesis 2:16-17)

The phrase “appointed…to die…” does not mean that at 11:35 P.M. on January 21stthat Rodney Boyd’s time is up. It does mean that whenever that time comes, hopefully not early because of my lifestyle or at someone’s hand because of the cures, that once it occurs I will not be reincarnated again and again and again to get my life right. I will not come back as a fly on the rump of a horse standing in a field. But to be sure, because of the curse that was brought about by the high treason of disobedience via Adam and Eve, this thing called the death “was passed to all men (as a result of the curse) because all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12)

THE PLAN FOR RESTORATION

Jesus appeared on planet Earth as God’s plan to “destroy the works of the d-evil” was started when His birth was announced by an angel, He was born if a virgin, He grew in wisdom and stature, He went from being a boy to a man, was obedient to the Father pleasing the Father by being baptized, came up out of the waters and was anointed by the Holy Spirit, and went around for three years teaching the Word, declaring the Kingdom will of God on earth as it was in heaven and healing the sick which in essence was stopping the harassment and oppression by the d-evil. Then at the end of three years, He allowed men to beat Him, mock Him, nail Him on a cross for our sins to become a curse as He hung on a tree, the He died, was buried and then on the 3rd Day Jesus rose from the dead and went back to heaven. He then had the Father pour out the promise of the Holy Spirit so His followers could to the same things and even greater things than He had done. Then after a time, He would return to gather the saints, those who are dead (death) and then those who are still alive.




HIS RETURN

After Jesus gave B.I.B.L.E. Basic Instructions For Leaving Earth, He left on a cloud and they were informed that Jesus would return in the same way that He left, on a cloud in the sky.
(Acts 1:9-11) He would be returning to collect the saints dead and alive. (I Thessalonians 4:14-18)

It appears that the people were uninformed because Paul said, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren. The topic that they were uninformed about was about “those who are asleep”, or dead. Let’s ask the who, what, when, where, why, how questions about this topic.

1. What were they doing about those who were asleep? (I Thessalonians 4:13)

2. What did Paul want them not to do?

NOTE: The ones who were grieving with no hope were not brethren in (or sistern) Christ.

3. What did the rest who had no hope do? (I Thessalonians 4:13

4. What do true believers, believe? (I Thessalonians 4:14)

NOTE: The hope (confident expectation) was the return of Jesus to come and collect the dead and alive.

5. Who will God bring with Him when He returns? (I Thessalonians 4:14)

NOTE: God will be bringing with Him those who have fallen asleep (died) in Jesus. We will see a little later that God is coming to collect both those who the dead in Christ (their bodies because they were with Him in their spirits.

“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)

6. When we are absent from the (body, the dead body) where are we? (2 Corinthians 5:8)

7. What will we who are alive (not dead) and remain (on earth) until the coming of the Lord,
not do? (I Thessalonians 5:16)

NOTE: There are saints who have died and there are saints who have not died. The ones who have not died will not proceed with those who have died. How will this take place?


8. Who will descend from heaven with a shout? (2 Thessalonians 4:16)
9. What three noisy things will the Lord return with? (2 Thessalonians 4:16)

a.____________________________________________________________

b.____________________________________________________________

c.____________________________________________________________

10. Who will rise first? (2 Thessalonians 4:16)

11. What will happen to those who are still alive in Christ (not dead)? (2 Thessalonians 4:16)

NOTE: The dead (those who have died) go up first and then those who are still alive (not dead)
will be caught up together with them, the alive and the dead in Christ)

12. Who will the alive and dead meet in the air? (2 Thessalonians 4:17)

13. Once this happens, how long will we be with the Lord? (2 Thessalonians 4:17)

14. Armed with this information (so they are no longer uninformed), what are we to do to
one another? (2 Thessalonians 4:18)

NOTE: While we believe in healing, expect healing, expect the will of God on earth as it is in heaven, death does come to the saints and the sinners. The difference is that the Lord will reunite us with our loved ones if they are in Christ. There is great comfort in this.

In my Facebook group, Healing 101 with Rodney Boyd I teach the Word of God concerning healing. The group is based on 2 Scriptures (1) Matthew 6:10 (2) Acts 10:38

“Thy (The Father who is in heaven) Kingdom (rule, reign, and foundation of power (dunamis, dynamic ability) Thy (the Father who is in heaven) will (wish, desire) be done (accomplished and manifested) on earth (where there is sin, sickness, dis-ease, dis-stress, dis-comfort, dysfunction) AS IT IS (the prototype for the will of God) in heaven (where there is forgiveness, health and healing, ease, no stress, comfort, and function). (Matthew 6:10 with emphasis and additions mine)

“You (me and you and them) know Jesus (the Christ, the Anointed One) of Nazareth, how God (the Father who is in heaven) anointed (poured out upon, smeared on like an ointment, and rubbed into) (1) The person of the Holy Ghost (2) power, dunamis, dynamic ability, and how He Jesus the Anointed One, went about doing good (not bad) and healing (bringing from the point of being sick to the point of being sick no longer, aka healing) ALL (who believed) who were harassed and oppressed (works of the d-evil that Jesus came for the purpose of destroying) by the
d-evil (the evil one, the serpent, the creep, the liar, stealer, killer) for God (our Father who is in heaven and has His will) was with Him (Jesus The Anointed Healer), (Immanuel, God with us).”
(Acts 10:38 with emphasis and additions mine)

While we know that we are subject to this thing caused death while we are on earth, we are not subject to the d-evil’s will (sickness and death) and we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and resist the d-evil. We pray and believe for healing and not death, we speak to the mountains of sickness and tell it what to do and where to go. We believe that faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God concerning healing and not the word of the d-evil, words of traditions of men that nullify the Word of God in their lives, and not diagnosis and prognosis o men (doctors) or personal experience of people being prayed for and dying and the symptoms we feel and experience in our human bodies.

We don’t deny reality but we do deny reality’s right to rule out emotions, our bodies, and the outcomes in our life.

Many strong, Spirit-filled, faith believing believers (trusting in, clinging to, relying on the death, burial, resurrection of Jesus) get sick and even die, but their death is different than those who do not know Jesus. Many ask me, “Rodney, how long to I stand in faith for a healing?” My answer is usually, “Until you get healed (go to the point of being sick to not being sick any longer” OR until you physically die (because you will not spiritually die). Either way for the believer in the death, burial, and resurrection, it is a win/win situation. You either get healed by the presence of the Healer or you step in the presence and the arms of the Healer.

THE MYSTERY OF DEATH AND LIFE (I Corinthians 15:51-58)

Because of what Jesus did with the Gospel, Death, Burial, and Resurrections, nothing more, nothing less (aka The D.B.R. nothing more nothing less) (I Corinthians 15:1—3) with a post-resurrection appearance (I Corinthians 15:5-8), because of what He did when He hung on a tree as the propitiation (satisfactory substitute for you and me, I John 2:2), and because He became a curse in our place so we could inherit the blessings of Abraham (which includes the blessing of healing and not the curse of sickness) and receive the promise of the Holy Spirit through faith and redeemed us from the Law (Galatians 3:10-14) Jesus unlock a mystery so we would not have to fear death.

The will of God for us is too steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord and to know that our toil is not in vain in the Lord, especially in the face of death. (I Corinthians 15:58)

1. What is the mystery revealed? (I Corinthians 15:51)

2. How long will it take for this change to take place? (I Corinthians 15:52)

3. What will happen when the last trumpet sounds? (I Corinthians 15:52)

4. What will the dead be raised in? (I Corinthians 15:52)

5. What will we be? (I Corinthians 15:52)

6. What must the perishable put on? (I Corinthians 15:53)

7. What must this mortal put on? (I Corinthians 15:53)

8. When this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on
immortality, then what will happen? (I Corinthians 15:53)

9. What saying will come about when the perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this
mortal must put on immortality? (I Corinthians 15:54)

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
(Isaiah 25:8, Hosea 13:14)

10. What is the sting of death? (I Corinthians 15:56)

NOTE: We don’t deny the reality of death, it stings, it hurts,

11. What is the power of sin? (I Corinthians 15:56)

12. What do we have to give thanks to God for in the face of death and its sting and the power
of sin? (I Corinthians 15:57

13. Who is the victory through? (I Corinthians 15:57)

FINAL THOUGHTS…FINALLY

I have been taught for years that healing is not the will of God on earth as it is in heaven. Praying for healing is at best a crapshoot and usually will come up snake-eyes (d-evil eyes). Healing is either not the will of God, never has been the will of God, maybe or may not be the will of God, depending on God’s mood at the time. I believe that it has been and always be the will of God on earth as it is in heaven if we appropriate by faith in God constantly. Mark 11:22)

Be blessed (Supremely Happy so as to be envied by others).

Love (God style) and Holy (because of Him) Kisses (signs of affection)

Rodney
2020

CHAPTER TEN

DIABETES (Reality Versus Truth)

DISCLAIMER: I know that many STRONG believers in the Lord, believe that whatever happens, happens for a purpose and sickness is from God, but I don't believe it. I believe The Will of God is Healing (going from the point of being sick to the point of being sick no longer) and that sickness is nothing but harassment and oppression by the d-evil. (Acts 10:38). Can you get to heaven without believing in healing? Yes, you just may get there quicker.

“There are about 100,000 human diseases that have been identified in this World. The top leading causes of death in the USA.”

Out of the known 100,000 diseases, diabetes (A group of diseases that result in too much sugar in the blood (high blood glucose).is one of them.

People handled this CURSE in many different ways. Many accept it as the will of God or some punishment for their lifestyle, some ignore it and allow it to get worse and manifest itself with everything from strokes to amputation of body parts. Some regulate it by medication, diet and exercises. At times this hellish disease can be reversed while at other times it becomes a life time curse. Some accept the d-evil's harassment and oppression as the will of God (not true). Just because something happens does not mean that it is the will of God. I do know that diabetes is covered under Deuteronomy 28:61 a a curse. No doubt the Lord will allow a cursed but it is not His perfect will.

"How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth (The Healer) with the Holy Spirit and with strength and ability (dynamic) and power (duNAmis); how He (The Healer) went about (Matthew 4:23-24) doing good (not bad) and in particular , curing (healing) ALL who were harassed and oppressed (by sickness, dis-ease, dis-comfort, dys-function) by [the power of] the d-evil, for God was with Him (The Healer), (Immanuel, God with us)." (Acts 10:38 The Amplified Bible with emphasis and addition by Rodney Lewis Boyd)

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

I believe that we have exousia (delegated authority) and and duNAmis (dynamic ability) to access by FAITH God's will on earth (where there is diabetes) AS IT IS (just like it is) in heaven (where there is no diabetes).

I suggest that IF you are plagued with diabetes that you take an active and aggressive stance in the Spirit by faith against the d-evil's diabetes. Yes, eat right, yes take the medicine BUT YES begin to speak to the mountain of d-evil diabetes and and tell the d-vil diabetes where to go. Call things that are NOT (the diabetes) as though the were (healed.

When I had the stroke (will never call it mine because the d-evil is the author of sickness and dis-ease) my blood sugar shot up to 485+ with an A1C of 585. I was placed on 4 shots of insulin on a sliding scale. I had listened to a teaching by Kate McVeigh called "calling things which be not as though they were." I began to implement the principles in the teaching for my physical being. I began to speak to my body every time I took the medicine. (currently off of three shots of insulin) I would (and still do) say, "I thank God that I am not a diabetic." "I thank God that my blood sugar levels and A1C levels are normal." "I thank God that my pancreas and liver functions."

The A1C (reflective of 3 month average of blood sugar levels) has gone progressively down from:

1. 15.8
2. 14.5
3. 6.9
4. 6.6
5. 6.1

Normal is 7.0 but of course the doctor's want it lower and so do I. I keep speaking, keep believing, keep hoping with confident expectation. If this is denial it is because I deny the d-evil and reality the right to rule me.

NOTE: The principles that I have taught works not only for healing but for ANY area that you are standing in faith about. Of course IF you believe that these things have ceased then nothing I am saying will make any sense to you. God HAS NOT ceased being the God of miracles and healing. He is JUST THE SAME.

NOTE: I was writing a book about HEALING called "On Earth As It Is In Heaven" before the stroke. Now I am a chapter in my own book. With that being said:

I am offering to you a preview/excerpt of the book, Chapter 9 entitled, "What Do You Do When You Believe and Teach Healing and You Get Sick."

Just ask for it and give me your email and I will send it to you.

Blessings (Be Supremely Blessed and envied by others) and Selah (Pause, Ponder, and Ruminate)

Rodney "I AM HEALED" Boyd

ADDENDUM TO THE FOREWORD
Never Run A Dead Kata

Never Run a Dead Kata was first published in 2014. Being my freshman project I never dreamed that I would have seven + more works published with more books coming. 

Never Run a Dead Kata is a chronicle of my journey on the road to getting my black belt that started for me back when I was in the sixth grade when first saw a series of movies starring Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto, and oriental detective who used martial arts instead of guns in bringing down the bad guys. I would read books about self-defense by Bruce Tegner and throughout the year would watch movies with Chuck Norris (World Champion kickboxer and movie/T.V. star), Bruce Lee (multiple marital arts movies), Tom Laughlin (Billy Jack) along with T.V shows like The Green Hornet and Longstreet (Bruce Lee), all with marital arts themes.

In 1972/73 I answered an ad in The Daily News Journal (local Murfreesboro Tennessee newspaper) about a karate class starting. This story line is laid out in the book. I took for a couple of years but then I dropped out, for various reasons, but the passion for karate was still within me. I did not start practicing again until I turned 50 years old, I am currently 66 years old, and on October 29th I received my 1st degree Black Belt and a few years later was rewarded my 2nd degree Black Belt. My quest for 3rd degree black belt was interrupted when in 2017 I had a cerebellum stroke. As of this writing I continue my journey towards the 3rd degree. I am eternally grateful to Sensei Bill Taylor of Bill Taylor’s Bushido School of Karate for believing in me and continually giving me the opportunity to fulfill my dreams.

The purpose for this addendum is two-fold: 

(1) An update on my quest for 3rd degree: 

Anyone on the journey to receive their black belt goes through the same process, the same curriculum that everyone has to go through. Martial arts is not a team sport (for the most part) but is one individual competing against themselves meeting milestone marks in colored belts from white belt to black belt. The journey never ends as you receive the coveted black belt and progress to various degrees of black belt that represented abilities of various techniques and kata forms, along with the time factor. I was working on my 3rd degree when as I mentioned before I experienced a stroke that knocked me back like a well-placed spinning back kick to my solar plexus. For eight months I was down, but I got back up and am currently, slowly getting back into the groove. Everyone from Mr. Taylor down to young kids are helping me along the way. 

(2) Addressing the thought that somehow you are cursed if you practiced martial arts:

This is the clarification for some who would believe that anyone who is a practitioner (a person engaged in the practice of a profession, occupation, a person who
practices something specified) is somehow involved in mysticism, the occult, satanic worship or have opened themselves up to a curse or are being cursed. 

CURSED: 'ârar (aw-rar')=A primitive root; to execrate (to detest utterly; abhor; abominate - X bitterly curse, to curse; imprecate evil upon; damn; denounce)

As a believer in the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus the Christ I am well aware of satan (aka the d-evil) and his demonic minions who are constantly attempting to tempt believers. There is nothing new under the sun, according to Solomon.

Temptation has been defined as not necessarily something to lead us into an evil place but “is designed to pull us away from who we really are and pull us away from our purpose or destiny.” (Larry Napier)

“That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9 N.A.S.B., New American Standard Bible)

In the book of Ephesians we are notified of the battle, the enemy’s tactics, the enemy’s resources and how we can stand against the attacks of the enemy. In Ephesians 6:10-13 we see:

· We are to be strong in the Lord (not in ourselves) and in the strength (power) of
His (not our) might.

· We need to put on the full/whole armor of God, so that we will be able to stand
firm against the schemes of the d-evil.

· Our struggle is not against flesh and blood (human enemies) but (in contrast to
human enemies) against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces
in this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness located
in the heavenly places.

· Because of this we are encouraged to take up the full armor of God so that we will
be able to resist in the evil day and having done everything, to stand firm.

Recently I was informed that by practicing martial arts that I was opening myself up to be cursed. This was not a new thing that the person was telling me, and I truly understand how we can open ourselves up for trouble by things that we do, however the statement took the wind out of me for a moment. The reason given was that the martial arts had roots in the Orient and “non-Christian” practices and was demonic. Again, I have heard this for years and do not deny that people may be involved in the mystic martial arts, however that is not my experience. 

For a brief minute I got on the defensive (not self-defense) and tried to reason with them on an intellectual level, that was my first mistake. I told this person that the Apostle Paul could actually eat meat offered to idols with a clear conscience. (1st Corinthians 8:1-13) They told me that I was wrong and was missing the point. I then reached for another example that just because I ate at a Chinese restaurant and gave my money to people who were not Christians, did not mean that I opened myself up to a curse. Again, I was wrong and they were right so I dropped it and went on my way. For weeks I carried this thought about being cursed with me but through encouragement from my wife and other trusted believers I came out of fog.

I was encouraged to read a book by a man named Derek Prince called Blessings and Curses. Now I was very familiar with the writing of Mr. Prince and I had actually read that certain book. I love the writings and teachings of Derek Prince and have for years, however I did not agree with what he said about martial arts. I went home, pulled out the book and went to the index under /m/ for martial arts and went to the page. Under the section entitled The Power Of The Occult it read:

“Acupressure, acupuncture, astral projection, hypnosis, levitation, martial arts (those that invoke supernatural spiritual power), mind control, mind dynamics, para-kinesis, table-tipping, telekinesis, “touch” healing, witchcraft.” (Blessing or Curse by Derek Prince publisher Chosen Books 1990, page 78)

Again, I understand the thought process about various things that “invoke supernatural spiritual power) other than God and I do avoid many things, and yes, there may be some martial arts students and teachers who may “invoke supernatural spiritual power”, however I am not one of them. In all my years as a student of Wado Ryu Karate at originally Bushido School of Karate (1973) and later at Bill Taylor’s Bushido School of Karate (2001, when I turned 50 years old). I have never been asked to renounce my Christian faith, worship non-Christian religions, invoke and supernatural spiritual power to learn karate and earn my Black Belts. Since 1972/1973 until now in 2018 the only thing that has helped me gain my skills as a martial artist is blood, sweat, tears and practice, practice, practice. 

I personally pray before my classes and ask help from the Lord to help me physically, mentally and emotionally accomplish what needs to be accomplished. My God is a supernatural God, where His super comes on my natural, so I don’t need any watered down supernatural help from the d-evil.

A couple of verses out of the book of Romans underscores my conviction about this.

“Therefore, do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil.” (Romans 14:16 N.A.S.B., New American Standard Bible)

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17 N.A.S.B. New American Standard Bible)

There is an international organization called Karate For Christ who live out their faith in their martial arts in their words and their deeds.

Sensei Bill Taylor was kind enough to write an endorsement that appears on the back of Never Run A Dead Kata for which I am forever grateful.

“A thought provoking account of a martial artist’s journey to the 1st degree Black Belt told in a Christian perspective. Mr. Boyd uses his unique insight and humor to put together and enjoyable read.” (Sensei Bill Taylor 7th Dan, owner/operator of Bill Taylor’s Bushido School of Karate)

Rodney Boyd 2nd Dan Black Belt
2018

(Lessons I Learned In The Dojo)

FORWARD WITH THE FOREWARD

“Never run a dead kata.”  (Master Hirinori Otsuka)

The statement “never run a dead kata” was made by the man who developed the style of karate that I practice called Wado Ryu. Wado Ryu is the study of “the way of peace/harmony”  It breaks down like this, WA (peace/harmony)  DO (way)  RYU (style) My journey on my quest for  my Black Belt was a long and convoluted path. Now, the DOJO is considered to be the school as a whole…but more than the school…the workout area…where you bow…step on the mats…and begin the process of learning not only the physical aspects of karate…but the code of karate…or the heartbeat of karate. Before we get into the “lessons I learned in the dojo”, I believe that it would be a good idea to let you know how I got to 10/29/07, the day I earned my 1st degree Black Belt.  Part of the process was to write a paper entitled WHAT EARNING A BLACK BELT MEANS TO ME.  Come with me and get an overview of my journey.

WHAT EARNING A BLACK BELT MEANS TO ME

Rodney Boyd Ik Kyu (1st Degree Black Belt)

To understand what earning a black belt means to me, you must understand the beginning of my journey.  The roots of my desire to earn a black belt, extends back into the mid 1960’s.  My first exposure to the martial arts was through a movie (actually a series of eight movies) starring Peter Lorre as a character named Mr. Moto.  Mr. Moto was a Charlie Chan type detective. Mr. Moto was small, unimposing, wearing wire rimmed glasses and a white suit.  The difference between him and Charlie Chan was that he would not only use his detective smarts to solve a crime but…he would use ju jitsu against the bad guys.  I was amazed at how this little; unimposing man was able to beat the bad guys, without shooting them, but by merely throwing them around.  The size ratio did not compute…but the seeds of martial arts were planted deep in me.

My first physical encounter using martial arts was in the 6th grade (around 1963)…and was based on what I saw in the Mr. Moto movies.  I was definitely not trained in the martial arts, and I was definitely not physically up to the task.  I was a scrawny, skinny, proverbial 98 pound weakling.  I was standing in a hallway outside of the gymnasium at Mitchell-Neilson Elementary School, when a larger student started picking on me.  He was kidding around and I did not feel threatened at the time, but all of a sudden, I found myself taking this large, imposing person and grabbed his arm, twisted my hips and threw him over my shoulder…more likely my hips.  Everyone was surprised at what had happened including the people around me, the guy who I threw over my shoulder, but nobody was surprised more than me.  I had merely imitated what I saw in a movie on late night television.  From that moment on I was fascinated with the martial arts, but for some reason, I never cultivated that desire until 1972.  From 1963 to 1972, I would read karate books by Bruce Tegner and watch Elvis give somebody a karate chop in the movies and even play around with my friends, as we would flip each other around in my backyard.  It was not until a fateful event in 1972 that I would come closer to my desire for a black belt.

1972 was an eventful year for me.  I got married (still married after 40 years), I had a steady job, and I got beat up on the side of the road in front of all my co-workers, God, and the rest of the world passing by that day.  Another event in 1972 was an advertisement that was placed in the Daily News Journal for a karate class that was forming in Murfreesboro Tennessee.  The ad was a little larger than a postage stamp, but it caught my eye.  The cost of the class was $15.00 a month and was being taught by someone I knew, Mr. Newton Harris.  I figured that after my encounter with my Goliath, that I needed to learn how to defend myself.  We met for our first class in Crichlow Elementary School…in the basement…and later moved to a dojo on Vine Street.  The school was at that time was the Bushido School of Karate.  The style was called Wado Ryu.  At that time the climate for karate was hot. On the television, Batman and Robin were kicking and punching the bad guys.  As a matter of fact, Burt Ward who played Robin had a black belt in real life.  In the movie Billy Jack, Billy was taking his foot and placing it on the right side of Mr. Posner’s face, telling Posner that there “was not a damn thing that he could do about it.”  Carl Douglas was singing that “everybody was Kung Fu fighting, their fists were fast as lightning”, as Kung Fu was  a hit T.V. show, and Bruce Lee was making a name for himself as Kato on the Green Hornet and the T.V. show Longstreet (teaching a blind lawyer martial arts), along with movies like Marlow with James Garner.  The “chop suey” movies were all the rage. Again, the climate was hot…and ripe for karate.

I signed up for karate along with a few friends and we were having a ball.  We would practice kata together, stretch every chance we got, and working out at the dojo four times a week, as the classes would go on for 2-3 hours.  It was hot, sweaty, tiring, and fun.  I was young, semi-flexible, and eager to learn…so I would not be a punching bag for some redneck on the side of the road anymore.  The motivation of why I want to be a black belt at this time was self-preservation and fear.  I went up

through the ranks to the point of being ready to take my green belt examination.  Through a series of circumstances, I dropped out.  Money, time, desire, all fizzled out.  By that time Mr. Harris sold the school to Mr. Bill Herzer.  For the next few decades, I would always have a desire to get my Black Belt.  I would watch karate movies, I would go over in my mind the things that I had learned, but never could get back into it.  It was over 30 years before I would walk back into a dojo.  Over the years I would tell my wife Brenda and my son Phillip that when I was 50 yeas old, I would return to karate.My goal was that I would have my Black Belt by the time I was 55 years old.  I was making that declaration when I was in my 40’s. 

NOTE:  I am currently 67 years old and still kicking, however I have had a slight setback with a stroke. I am currently working towards the 3rd degree black belt.  

When I was 48 years old, I took my son Phillip to a Wado Tournament in Columbia Tennessee, and told him that I would someday be down there on the gym floor competing.  3 years later, I was.  In September of 2001, I ran into Mr. Bill Taylor at Quiznos, who now owned Bill Taylor’s Bushido School of Karate.  Brenda was with me as I introduced myself to him and told him that I was thinking about starting karate again and I told him my story, but after I laid out my story., I  told him that I may be too old to start back again.  He immediately related that there was a lady at the school who was 70 years old and just got her Black Belt…what was my excuse?  That lady was Ms Betty Coleman, who continues to this day to be an inspiration to me.  I had no excuses so I signed up and receive my white belt on 11/15/2001 and received my Ik Kyu (Brown Belt) on 11/17/06.

NOTE: I received my 1st Degree black belt on October 28th, 2007 and my 2nd degree black belt on April 16th, 2011.

Seven years from my first class on November 15th, 2001 to September 12 2007, I received my notification of my scheduled Black Belt exam for October 27 and 28th 2007.  What does earning a black belt mean to me?  At this point…everything.  Attaining a black belt for me is a personal challenge to finish what I started in 1972 that transcends beyond the original intent of self-preservation because of fear of getting beat up on the side of the road again.  As I learned various techniques over the past seven years…the spirit and attitude of Wado Ryu have been instilled within me.  The principles of the way of harmony and peace are now my goals versus the belt around the waist.  Now don’t get me wrong, the belt around the waist will be wonderful…but the black belt virtues found in the student guide overrides the belt.  Modesty, courtesy, integrity, self-control, perseverance, and an indomitable spirit…that have been walked out by all of my instructors over the years are now goals that I strive for in the quest for black belt.  What does earning a black belt mean to me?  It means that accomplishing a goal that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and that I will walk out before others coming up the ranks with their own vision and dreams of a black belt.

This road has not been an easy one.  At times…my body has weakened with various pulls, strains, aches and pains and at times…the desire for a black belt was overwhelmed with the desire to lay down and quit and at times my confidence was lower than the mat that my feet were standing on, but thanks to the encouragement, rebuke, understanding from my instructors and my fellow karatekas, I stand ready to enter the next level, where now I am ready to learn.

My real purpose and power, comes from my faith and love for God (Father, Son, Holy Ghost).  Eric Liddle…a runner in the 1924 Olympics in Paris…and later to be a missionary to China…chronicled in the movie Chariots of Fire…is a source of inspiration for me.  He states, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast.  And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”  Well, I am not fast…but I do feel His pleasure when I work out and compete.  He also gave the secret of his success…and I hope it will also be the secret to my success…”The secret of my success over the 400 meters is…that I ran the first 200 as hard as I could…and then the second 200 (with God’s help)…I ran it harder.”

Chewing the Daily Cud, Volume 2 Impacts Multiple Amazon.com Bestseller Charts

SMYRNA, TN (January 20, 2017) Author, Bible teacher and Speech-Language Pathologist Rodney Boyd (M.Ed, CCC-SLP) is thrilled to unveil his latest book, Chewing the Daily Cud, Volume 2, which released this week from WordCrafts Press. The new book features 91 Daily Ruminations on the Word of God, and is the second in Boyd's planned four-volume collection of daily devotionals. Once completed, the set will contain an entire year's worth of pithy ruminations designed to enhance your morning devotion time and draw you closer to God.

Boyd’s twin callings as both a Speech Pathologist and a Bible teacher have given him a unique perspective on the wonderful correlation between the natural aspects of hearing and speaking, and the spiritual aspects of hearing and speaking the Word of God.

"I kept seeing the divine connection between the Creator and His human creation," Boyd muses. "As a speech-language pathologist, I realize that we were created for the purpose of communicating with each other, and as a follower of Jesus Christ I believe we were also created to communicate with our Creator. Ultimately, I want people to see that we are not just cosmic accidents, but that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. It is my hope that the devotions presented in Chewing the Daily Cud will help readers focus on the Word of God, and that it will become part of the process of renewing their minds by keeping it on the Spirit, where there is life and peace, and off of the flesh, where there is death."

Chewing the Daily Cud, Volume 2, Boyd's fifth book, is already generating a buzz in the market place. It debuted at #8 on Amazon.com's Hot New Releases Chart in the Spiritual Devotions category. It also impacted the online retailer's Hot New Releases charts in the Christian Devotions category (#37) and the Christian Worship and Liturgy category (#46). It follows on the heels of his #1 bestselling Amazon.com release, Pro-Verb Ponderings: 31 Ruminations on Positive Action, which topped the online behemoth's prestigious Hot New Releases chart in the Old Testament Meditations category, and also debuted at #11 on both the Top 100 Christian Old Testament Meditations and Top 100 Judaism Hebrew Bible Meditations categories.

Chewing the Daily Cud, Volume 2 is published in the US by WordCrafts Press (www.wordcrafts.net) and distributed globally by Ingram Content Group, the world's largest distributor of physical content.

Free review copies are available in all major ebook formats. For additional information or to request a review copy, please contact:

CE Edwards
Senior Publicist, WordCrafts Press
pr@wordcrafts.net

Product Details 
Paperback: 214 pages
Publisher: WordCrafts Press (January 18, 2017) 
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0998395951
ISBN-13: 978-0998395951
eBook ISBN: 978-1370635986
Trade Paperback: $14.99
eBook: $5.99

About The Author:

Rodney Boyd is a follower of Jesus Christ, husband, dad, Bible teacher and Speech-Language Pathologist. He has a passion for music of all styles, writing, teaching the Word of God and the martial arts. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Brenda, for more than 40 years and together they have one son, Phillip. Boyd, who holds a 2nd degree Black Belt in Wado Ryu karate, is also the author of the #1 bestselling Amazon.com release, Pro-Verb Ponderings: 31 Ruminations on Positive Action, Speaking and Hearing the Word of God, Never Run a Dead Kata: Lessons I Learned in the Dojo, and Chewing the Daily Cud, Volume 1, all available from WordCrafts Press.

31 Ruminations on Positive Action Tops Amazon Hot New Releases Chart.

TULLAHOMA, TN (Nov. 6, 2014) Pro-Verb Ponderings: 31 Ruminations on Positive Action, by Bible teacher Rodney Boyd, released last week to instant success. The book immediately hit #1 on Amazon.com's prestigious Hot New Releases chart in the Old Testament Meditations category, and impacted the online retailer's Top 100 Christian Old Testament Meditations and Top 100 Judaism Hebrew Bible Meditations categories, debuting at #11 on both charts.

“The book of Proverbs is divided into 31 chapters, which works nicely for daily devotions since there are never more than 31 days in a month," author Rodney Boyd explains. "Pro-Verb Ponderings is not intended to be an in-depth study of Proverbs. Instead, it is an introduction to some of the basic positive action encouragements that are inherent within the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Hopefully, after working through this book for 31 days, people will be excited to read that book. After all, that's where the real wisdom is located.”

About Pro-Verb Pondering: 31 Ruminations on Positive Action

Far from being a boring recitation of ancient aphorisms gleaned from a dusty tome, long time Bible teacher Rodney Boyd injects a healthy dose of humor into his writings, while peppering this 31-day journey with relevant pop culture references that help keep readers engaged. Boyd intentionally chose the term, ruminations, to describe his book.

"Ruminate comes from the Latin, ruminatus, which means to chew the cud," he elaborates. "There are around 150 species of mammals that chew the cud including cows, goats, giraffes, yaks, antelopes, deer, llamas and sheep. The process involves chewing and swallowing food, which then goes through a preliminary digestive process by passing through multiple stomach chambers before being regurgitated back up into the animal’s mouth in the form of a cud, where it is chewed again to help complete the digestive process. This is what we do with the Word (minus the four stomach chambers). We taste the Word of God, but it is not a once-and-done event. To get the full benefit we need to be ruminators, mooin' and chewin' on the Word of God."

Pro-: A prefix of priority in space or time having especially a meaning of advancing or projecting forward. An adverb indicating positive assent to a motion, idea or course of action.

Verb: A word that serves to indicate the occurrence or performance of an action.

Pro-Verbs: Positive action words. A book of practical applications of the principles of God’s word.

Pro-Verb Ponderings: 31 Ruminations on Positive Action is published in the US by WordCrafts Press (www.wordcrafts.net) and distributed globally by Ingram Content Group, the world's largest distributor of physical content.

Product Details 
Paperback: 210 pages
Publisher: WordCrafts Press (November 3, 2014) 
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0692322825
ISBN-13: 978-0692322826
eBook ISBN: 978-1311554451
Trade Paperback: $14.99
eBook: $5.99

About The Author:

Rodney Boyd is a follower of Jesus Christ, husband, dad, Bible teacher and Speech-Language Pathologist. He has a passion for music of all styles, writing, teaching the Word of God and the martial arts. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Brenda, for more than 40 years and together they have one son, Phillip. Boyd, who holds a 2nd degree Black Belt in Wado Ryu karate, is also the author of Never Run a Dead Kata: Lessons I Learned in the Dojo, available from WordCrafts Press.

Written That You May Believe Impacts Multiple Amazon.com Hot New Releases Charts

SMYRNA, TN (July 25, 2018) Bible teacher, Speech-Language Pathologist, and #1 Amazon.com Bestselling author Rodney Boyd is thrilled to unveil his latest book, Written That You May Believe: 21 Ruminations on the Gospel of John, which released on Wednesday, July 6, 2018 from WordCrafts Press. "It takes 21 days to break a bad habit, and 21 days for a new habit to begin to feel natural," Boyd muses. "The bad habits are to doubt and not believe, the new habits are to believe and have faith. There just happen to be 21 chapters in the Gospel of John. Coincidence? I don't think so."

Each of the four Gospels tells the story of the life of Jesus Christ. But there is something uniquely different about John's Gospel. For one thing, the "Disciple whom Jesus loved," claimed to testify as an eyewitness of these events, and even goes so far as to declare, "...and we know that his testimony is true." Boyd examines the 21 chapters of the Gospel of John with the goal that the reader will be enlightened, inspired, and encouraged to believe!.

"I kept seeing the divine connection between the Creator and His human creation," Boyd muses. "As a speech-language pathologist, I realize that we were created for the purpose of communicating with each other, and as a follower of Jesus Christ I believe we were also created to communicate with our Creator. Ultimately, I want to communicate to people that we are not just cosmic accidents, but that we are fearfully and wonderfully made by a loving Creator, who want to have a relationship with us, who wants us to believe, to have faith. My latest book, Written That You May Believe pairs 21 chapters from the Gospel of John with 21 gleanings/ruminations about something to believe (trust in, cling to, rely on, adhere to)."

Written That You May Believe, Boyd's eighth book, is already generating a buzz in the market place, climbing to #18 on Amazon.com's Hot New Releases Chart in the Jesus, the Gospels & Acts category. It also impacted the online retailer's Hot New Releases charts in the Christian Meditation Worship & Devotions category (#33) and the Christian Devotionals category (#93). It follows on the heels of his #1 bestselling Amazon.com release, Pro-Verb Ponderings: 31 Ruminations on Positive Action, which topped the online behemoth's prestigious Hot New Releases chart in the Old Testament Meditations category, and also debuted at #11 on both the Top 100 Christian Old Testament Meditations and Top 100 Judaism Hebrew Bible Meditations categories.

Written That You May Believe is published in the US by WordCrafts Press (www.wordcrafts.net) and distributed globally by Ingram Content Group, the world's largest distributor of physical content.

Free review copies are available in all major ebook formats. For additional information or to request a review copy, please contact:

CE Edwards
Senior Publicist, WordCrafts Press
pr@wordcrafts.net

Product Details
Paperback: 150 pages
Publisher: WordCrafts Press (July 6, 2018) 
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1948679124
ISBN-13: 978-1948679121
eBook ISBN: 978-1386159438
Trade Paperback: $13.99
eBook: $5.99

RodneySlide-e1413498634637
About The Author:

Rodney Boyd is a follower of Jesus Christ, husband, dad, Bible teacher and Speech-Language Pathologist. He has a passion for music of all styles, writing, teaching the Word of God and the martial arts. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Brenda, for more than 40 years and together they have one son, Phillip. Boyd, who holds a 2nd degree Black Belt in Wado Ryu karate, is also the author of the #1 bestselling Amazon.com release, Pro-Verb Ponderings: 31 Ruminations on Positive Action, Speaking and Hearing the Word of God, Never Run a Dead Kata: Lessons I Learned in the Dojo, and Chewing the Daily Cud, Volumes 1-4, all available from WordCrafts Press.

31 Ruminations on Positive Action Tops Amazon Hot New Releases Chart.

TULLAHOMA, TN (Nov. 6, 2014) Pro-Verb Ponderings: 31 Ruminations on Positive Action, by Bible teacher Rodney Boyd, released last week to instant success. The book immediately hit #1 on Amazon.com's prestigious Hot New Releases chart in the Old Testament Meditations category, and impacted the online retailer's Top 100 Christian Old Testament Meditations and Top 100 Judaism Hebrew Bible Meditations categories, debuting at #11 on both charts.

“The book of Proverbs is divided into 31 chapters, which works nicely for daily devotions since there are never more than 31 days in a month," author Rodney Boyd explains. "Pro-Verb Ponderings is not intended to be an in-depth study of Proverbs. Instead, it is an introduction to some of the basic positive action encouragements that are inherent within the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Hopefully, after working through this book for 31 days, people will be excited to read that book. After all, that's where the real wisdom is located.”

About Pro-Verb Pondering: 31 Ruminations on Positive Action

Far from being a boring recitation of ancient aphorisms gleaned from a dusty tome, long time Bible teacher Rodney Boyd injects a healthy dose of humor into his writings, while peppering this 31-day journey with relevant pop culture references that help keep readers engaged. Boyd intentionally chose the term, ruminations, to describe his book.

"Ruminate comes from the Latin, ruminatus, which means to chew the cud," he elaborates. "There are around 150 species of mammals that chew the cud including cows, goats, giraffes, yaks, antelopes, deer, llamas and sheep. The process involves chewing and swallowing food, which then goes through a preliminary digestive process by passing through multiple stomach chambers before being regurgitated back up into the animal’s mouth in the form of a cud, where it is chewed again to help complete the digestive process. This is what we do with the Word (minus the four stomach chambers). We taste the Word of God, but it is not a once-and-done event. To get the full benefit we need to be ruminators, mooin' and chewin' on the Word of God."

Pro-: A prefix of priority in space or time having especially a meaning of advancing or projecting forward. An adverb indicating positive assent to a motion, idea or course of action.

Verb: A word that serves to indicate the occurrence or performance of an action.

Pro-Verbs: Positive action words. A book of practical applications of the principles of God’s word.

Pro-Verb Ponderings: 31 Ruminations on Positive Action is published in the US by WordCrafts Press (www.wordcrafts.net) and distributed globally by Ingram Content Group, the world's largest distributor of physical content.

Product Details 
Paperback: 210 pages
Publisher: WordCrafts Press (November 3, 2014) 
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0692322825
ISBN-13: 978-0692322826
eBook ISBN: 978-1311554451
Trade Paperback: $14.99
eBook: $5.99

About The Author:

Rodney Boyd is a follower of Jesus Christ, husband, dad, Bible teacher and Speech-Language Pathologist. He has a passion for music of all styles, writing, teaching the Word of God and the martial arts. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Brenda, for more than 40 years and together they have one son, Phillip. Boyd, who holds a 2nd degree Black Belt in Wado Ryu karate, is also the author of Never Run a Dead Kata: Lessons I Learned in the Dojo, available from WordCrafts Press.

Never Run A Dead Kata Explores Relationship Between Faith & Martial Arts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tullahoma, TN – Never Run A Dead Kata, the inspirational debut from Tennessee-based 2nd Degree Black Belt, Rodney Boyd Ni Dan, released today from WordCrafts Press. This engaging, deeply personal and often humorous book explores the thin line that separates The Way of Peace and Harmony (Wado Ryu Karate) from The Way of the Prince of Peace (Christianity) from the perspective of a man who walks (and does roundhouse kicks) in both worlds.

"This book has been years in the making, starting long before I became a black belt," Boyd explains. "I kept seeing in my martial arts journey and my Christian walk correlations between both of them. The longer I live, the more my spiritual experiences spill over or undergird every area of my life. Never Run A Dead Kata is my way of expressing that there is, or at least should be, no separation between our secular lives and our spiritual existence."

Boyd’s quest to study the manly art of self-defense was sparked in part by an altercation on the side of the road with an enraged, tire-iron wielding redneck. That incident propelled him into a local dojo where he began his 35-year journey to obtain a black belt in Wado Ryu Karate, a style of martial arts that ironically, translates into English as the Way of Peace and Harmony.

As Boyd became more proficient in the martial arts, he discovered the black belt virtues of modesty, courtesy, integrity, self-control, perseverance and an indomitable spirit coincided remarkably well with his Christian faith. While the path to excellence in any endeavor is never easy, along the way Boyd learned numerous lessons about love, life and faith. What he learned in the dojo became the basis for his book, Never Run A Dead Kata.

Rodney Boyd Ni Dan is a Speech-Language Pathologist with a 2nd degree Black Belt in Wado Ryu Karate. He has a passion for music of all styles, writing, teaching the Word of God and the martial arts. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Brenda for more than 40 years and together they have one son, Phillip. They live in middle Tennessee.

Never Run A Dead Kata 
162 pages
WordCrafts Press
ISBN-13: 978-0615991962
Trade Paperback: $13.99
eBook: $5.99

For more information about Rodney Boyd or WordCrafts Press, visit WordCrafts.net.

Review copies are available in all major eBook formats. To request a review copy or to schedule an interview with Rodney Boyd:

Bethany Ring
Publicist, WordCrafts Press
wordcraftspress@gmail.com

CHAPTER  NINE

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU BELIEVE AND TEACH HEALING AND THEN YOU BECOME SICK?

“You know you are an author when you have a stroke and you consider your trip to the hospital as research for you book on healing.” (Rodney Lewis Boyd, author)

PHASE ONE (In The Beginning)

I was in the process of writing this book about healing, and then I was surprised by having a stroke which I would learn later was a cerebellar stroke., and now I am a chapter in my own book.  What the d-evil meant for harm has backfired on him.  The one who oppresses people with sickness and disease tried to put out the fire of proclamation and declaration that God is the healer, but taking what he thought was a bucket of water and throwing it over me but it turned out to be a bucket of gasoline and KABOOM, the passion of proclaiming Jesus as healer flamed up. Here is my story, as best as I can remember it, with help from my wife Brenda filling in the details.

On June 15th 2017 it was a morning like any other morning. I woke up at 5:00 in the morning, drank some coffee, checked Facebook, read the Bible, prayed, and kissed Brenda good-bye. It was just another Thursday.

I ate breakfast which included microwaved frozen meatballs, with hot sauce, barbeque sauce with cheddar cheese on top microwaved to perfection. Ahhhh, the breakfast of champions.  I got in the shower to get ready for work with anticipation of a full day of patients to see and suddenly the shower walls started to spin like a carnival ride. I appeared to be having an episode of vertigo. In an effort to stop the spinning I put my hand on one wall and my other hand on the other wall. The spinning did not stop but seemed to intensify.  Without warning the entire shower appeared to turn on its side and it seemed to me that I was thrown to the shower floor hitting my back on the spigot and just lying there in a daze. In reality I fell down in the shower floor. 

I finally reached up to turn off the water which was beginning to turn cold.  I must have been laying there for a while. I tried to reason how to get out of the tub but all I could think of was how impossible it seemed.  I eventually swung my leg over the side of the tub and with great effort pulled myself out of the shower. Once I overcame the barrier of the side of the tub I flopped down into the bathroom floor.   Somehow I stood up and eased my way to the bedroom. At this point my memory is getting hazy but I do I remember grabbing a garbage pail and started throwing up. Somehow I made my way back to the bedroom and I remember that I flopped back on the bed thinking that I was a mass of sweat, however in retrospect it could be that I was still wet from the shower water coming down on me.  From this point and for the next twelve days Brenda filled me in on the gaps in my memory.

When Brenda came home she said that I was fully clothed which I have no recollection about putting on my clothes.  I did not call anyone and don't remember anything until Brenda came home from work earlier than normal at around 1:00 P.M. I barely remember her quizzing me about what was going on and it seems like we determined that it was just vertigo, like Phillip our son had when he was in high school. We were going to the doctor the next morning to check it out.  At this time Brenda has told me that I was awake, alert and conversing with her.  Time passed and again I don’t remember a lot of what took place.  Apparently a few hours passed and it was time to go to bed.  Again, I don’t remember anything even though I appeared to be cognizant and conversing with Brenda.  Time passed and it was time to go to bed for the night.

Brenda told me not to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom unless I woke her up. Of course, I had to utilize the facilities and reasoned that I was feeling better so I got up without waking Brenda made my way to the bathroom, did my business and made my way back to bed. Ah sweet success. Later on that night the same thing occurred, except this time I was stumbling towards the bathroom and fell face first into the bathtub busting my mouth and nose with blood everywhere. Brenda appeared instantly and comforted me with the words, "I thought I told you to wake me."  I believe I actually remembered this but things are still fuzzy.

I finally got back to bed after Brenda cleaned me up of the blood from my mouth and nose, however we were still thinking that it was vertigo and that we would go to the doctor in the morning and get a shot and some medication.   At this point it never occurred to us that I had experienced a stroke.

The next morning Brenda had to go to work for a hospital case until she could get somebody to replace her.  She was not gone very long. Again, it appeared that I was doing better and was still cognizant and conversing with her.  She called Phillip to come over and help her get me into the car to go to the doctor.  When Phillip had his episode of vertigo years ago when he was in high school he reminded his mom that  it took both of us over an hour or more just to get him downstairs because of the vertigo.  Phillip had the wisdom to tell his mom "no" and to call for an ambulance, which she did.

The ambulance came along with a firetruck in our driveway.  One of the last things I remembered for the next twelve day was the EMTs coming into the bedroom with a stretcher and they transferred me from the bed to the stretcher.   They took me to Saint Thomas Medical Center in Murfreesboro where I was in a room within the Emergency Room for a couple of hours. During this time they took me for a CT scan to check out my injuries to my nose and mouth when I fell and hit my face on the side of the bathtub.  It was during this time that they saw that I had a cerebellar stroke which was at the base of the brainstem.  Now, as a Speech-Language Pathologist, I have worked with hundreds of people who have experienced a stroke.  The most common strokes occur either on the side of the brain.  On the left side of the brain is where the speech-language and hearing centers are located.  On the right side of the brain is where cognition and reasoning can be affected.  On each side of the brain, in the right and left hemisphere there are motor strips that affects speech with dysarthria or slurred speech.  The nature of the event is that if the stroke takes place on the left side of the brain, the opposite of the face or body can be weakened or paralyzed and the reverse if it occurs on the right side of the brain, the left side is affected.    The stroke had occurred in the cerebellum on the left side due to a possible blockage.  The cerebellum is located at the base of the brain stim and is known as “the drunk stroke” because it affects balance and mimics being drunk.  Balance and equilibrium were affected which included the vertigo at the initial time of the stroke.  

Brenda called the surgery center to report that a stroke had occurred.  One of her co-workers at the surgery center, a nurse anesthesiologist told her to get me to Saint Thomas Nashville immediately.  A doctor came by to check on me and Brenda voiced her desire for me to be moved.  The neurologist also came by and concurred that it would be best for me to be moved.   They reasoned that if I needed surgery like the removal of the plate from the back of my head to ease the pressure of the swelling of the brain, that they would be unable to do that surgery in Murfreesboro.  During this time Bruce and Jill Coble came to offer their support to me and Brenda.  As the word got out, the prayer wheels were set into motion.

 They placed me in an ambulance and off we went to Saint Thomas West.  Brenda, my son Phillip and his wife Jamie followed the ambulance and by the time they arrived, they already had me in a room with I.V. going. Wow what a difference from laying in the emergency room for two hours in Murfreesboro to being in ICU in Nashville immediately. I was in the Intensive Care Unit for nine days and then transferred to a regular room for three days before my discharge to in-patient rehabilitation.

Again, at this point I don’t remember very much and Brenda and friends have been helping me peel back the onion and filling in the gaps in my memory.  Left to my own devices when I try to tell the story I tend to embellish the facts.  Over the next few days friends and family came to see me of whom I remember very little about their visit. 

PHASE TWO (The Intensive Care Unit)

For the next nine days I was in the intensive care unit and then was transferred to a regular room.  Of the twelve day I remember very little.  Sometimes when I am telling the story of these days, Brenda will stop me and say, “It didn’t happen that way.”  So, know that the facts have been checked before they were placed in this chapter.  Thank God for Brenda and anyone who came to visit me while I was in the hospital and specifically in the intensive care unit.

Prior to the stroke (not mine, I do not claim it or take ownership of the harassment and oppression by the d-evil ) although, I do accept my stupidity for poor diet, minimal exercise, etc.), I had taught and requested from those taught (concerning healing) that if I ever got sick and went into the hospital, do not come to the hospital and visit me with doubt and unbelief.  Do not pray that the “will of God” unless you believe that the “will of God no earth as it is in heaven” was healing.  Since the stroke I have looked very hard up to heaven and as of this writing I have not found strokes, diabetes, heart difficulties, cancer, arthritis (fill in the blank of any sickness) in heaven.  

As the word leaked out, many prayers bombarded heaven from many places around the world.  My pastor, Allen Jackson (no not the singer) was leading a group/tour in Israel and they prayed.  It has been said that if you pray from America, it is a “long distance call” but in Israel it is a “local call.”  Men, women, children were praying prayers of faith.  Obviously, I was not praying for myself, or at least I don’t remember doing it.   Maybe my spirit (little s) within me was interceding via the Holy Spirit. 

If you are interested in my other books including:

1.  Never Run A Dead Kata (Lessons I Learned In The Dojo)
2.  Pro-Verb Ponderings (31 Ruminations on Positive Action)
3.  Speaking and Hearing The Word of God (A Speech-Language Pathologist Perspective)
4.  Chewing the Daily Cud (Volume 1)
5.  Chewing the Daily Cud (Volume 2)
6.  Chewing the Daily Cud (Volume 3)
7.  Chewing the Daily Cud (Volume 4)
8.  Written That You May Believe (21 Things To Believe From The Gospel of John)

These books are available for purchase from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, WordCrafts Publishing. They are also available in various forms of e-books including Kindle and Nook.

WE NOW RETURN TO YOUR READING OF ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN (Healing 101)

While lying in bed at the hospital in the intensive care unit I had many visitors flowing in and out including, family, friends, doctors, nurses, therapist and various hospital staff.  According to Brenda, most of them were wonderful.  

A FEW STORIES TO TELL

I will limit many of the stories to just a few.  Each one speaks to me about the “goodness of God in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13)

Initial Arrival 

I was transferred from the hospital in Murfreesboro Tennessee to one in Nashville Tennessee.  A lady that Brenda worked with at a surgery center told her to get me out of the one in Murfreesboro and down to Nashville. The physician’s in Murfreesboro agreed.  By the time Brenda, Phillip and Jamie got down to the hospital in Nashville I was already in a room in ICU and hooked up to I.V’s being seen by the Stroke Team.  I had been in the E.R. area for a couple of hours previously due to no room in the facility. I did have a CT Scan where they found the cerebellum stroke.

My Physical Condition

During the nine days in ICU, for the most part, I was awake, alert, cooperative, cognitive and talking making sense. On the surface you could not tell I had a stroke, although you could tell something was not right.  On day three, I took a turn for the worse and was not responding at all.  This is when Brenda was told that if the swelling of the brain (the cerebellum and surrounding area) did not go down, the prognosis was that (1) I would die (2) They needed to consider Hospice.  The physicians told Brenda, Phillip and Jamie that they needed to have a family meeting to discuss my options.  The prognosis was not good, but faith does not come by prognosis but by hearing and hearing the Word of God concerning Christ. (Romans 10:17)

NOTE: Somewhere in my mind I have thought that they were told, if I didn’t die I would be paralyzed from the neck down.  Brenda says she does not remember this, but it does make for a good story. Take it with a grain of salt as something in the mind of someone who had a stroke. 

Cause and Effect 

Many have asked what caused the stroke.  There most likely are many variables that contributed to the stroke.  A big part of the problem can be traced back to poor dietary habits. As a home health Speech Pathologist, I drive a lot. At the time I was driving from Cannon County to Coffee County, to Bedford County to Franklin County to Moore County.  There were lots of driving and lots of stops at fast food places and convenience stores for snacks.  My diet was an overload of carbohydrates from burgers, chips, candy and to neutralize it was diet soft drinks.  While I was in the process of losing weight and did some exercise, it all took a toll on my body.  When the stroke occurred, they found that my blood sugar was up in the 400’s to 500’s with an A1C of 15.3 with 7.0 being normal.  The physician said they do not know if it was the stroke that caused the elevated blood sugar or the blood sugar caused the stroke.”  The bottom line is it happened

GODISNOWHERE

Brenda tells me that I had wrote (or had someone write) down GODISNOWHERE on a piece of paper and later had it written down on the white board in the room.  I would then ask everyone who came in to read it for me. They would normally read God is NO where to which I would reply read it again to which they would read God is NOW here. I would respond that it all depends on how you look at it with the eyes of doubt or the eyes of faith.  I was a witness not knowing I was a witness.  In Acts 1:8 it says, “You shall receive power (dynamic ability) after the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall BE my witnesses….” To “be” a witness is a noun and it is who you are. To witness is a verb and it is what you do.  In the words of Mike Gibson, who is now with Jesus, “This is who we are, this is what we do.”  Apparently, I was doing it not knowing I was doing it.

The Sternum Rub

During this time when I was not responding, there was a nurse that sat on the side of the bed and began to do a sternal rub. “A sternum rub is the application of painful stimuli with the knuckles of closed fist to the center chest of a patient who is not alert and does not respond to verbal stimuli.” (www.ems1.com)   In my mind as I tell this story, I say that the nurse hopped on top of me in the bed and straddled my chest and began the sternum rub.  Of course it did not happen that way as Brenda is quick to correct me.  As stated, at the beginning of this section, she sat on the side of the bed, but my story is more exciting.  The only thing that aroused me is when my friend Trent Messick would say loudly, “Rodney!” I would arouse momentarily.

The Lifelines

During this down time, Brenda, as strong as she was and is, was being overwhelmed.  Trent and Laura Messick, dear friends and brother and sister in the Lord became Brenda’s lifeline.  They were there to pray and support Brenda at this time.  Laura had a word of wisdom to get music going in the room because that was the language that I understand.  So they got my phone and began playing everything I had on my phone including Elvis Presley, various Christian artists and styles, and Kenneth Hagin reading Healing Scriptures.  In retrospect this was a turn-around moment in my recovery.

Many people came to visit me but I don’t remember any of them in that 12 day period. People like pastor of Springhouse Worship and Arts center came, prayed and sang to me.  Bruce and Jill Coble came when I first went into the hospital for prayer support. Wayne Berry who at the time was worship pastor at Springhouse came and sang Elvis and other songs in my ears and prayed.  I keep finding out about others who came that I just don’t remember but they were encouragement for Brenda and the family. 

King of the Whole Wide World

One song that I vaguely remember was Elvis Presley’s song from the movie Kid Galahad, King of the whole wide world. I remember thinking that this was a song of faith.  It speaks of a poor man who wants an oyster while the rich man wants the pearl in the oyster but in the contrast is the man who can sing when he does not have a thing he is to be known as a king of the whole wide world.  At that point I did not have a thing health wide but by faith I was a king who served the King of Kings.

The Return

Apparently from what Brenda tells me, I was out for a couple of day but at some point, I woke up and slowly returned was awake again and slowly returned back to where I was before the downturn a few days earlier. 

While I was out of it, Brenda was praying and the Lord spoke to her and said to her, “I have heard your prayers and answered.”  It was moments like these that became points of encouragement as she walked by faith and not by sight. By sight there appeared to be no hope, no confident expectation, but by faith the was hope.

 As a Speech-Language Pathologist, part of my job was to do cognitive evaluations and the doctor came in and did what I do to many people.  He asked me to repeat three word, a truck, a train, and huckleberry.  According to Brenda I repeated the first two words and then attempted to lift my head towards the doctor and said, “I’ll be your huckleberry”.  For those not familiar this is what Doc Holiday said in the movie Tombstone.  The doctor looked at Brenda and said, “What did he say?” Brenda responded, “I think he said he will be your huckleberry”.  It was at this point that Brenda knew that I was back.  

I’m Thirsty

At this time, in the earlier days of this stroke, they were trying to reduce the swelling of the brain with a drug called Mannitol. This is a saline/sugar based solution.  After a few days I was very thirsty and I told the doctor that I needed something to drink.  He told me that I would have to have a Speech Therapist to clear me to eat and drink.  Brenda said I got adamant and said, “I AM a Speech Therapist and I say I can drink!”  His response was that I could have a (singular) ice chip every 15 minutes.  

At one point Brenda had to leave for some reason and while she was gone, I spied some snacks somewhere in the room and I had my friend Gary Montgomery (along with his wife Rena) to bring the bag over because I was hungry.  Gary didn’t realize the restrictions so he brought me the bag and I began to scarf them down. Brenda came in and corrected that situation very quickly.

Arrival of The Speech-Language Pathologist

One of the many jobs that a Speech-Language Pathologist does is to clear the patient to be given food and/or drink.  Brenda tells me that I had around a 45 minute conversation with her about the mechanics of swallowing, speech therapy, various teachers in schools, etc.  Of course, once again I don’t remember her or the conversations. She eventually cleared me to eat and drink.

A few months later I was at a Speech conference and in the class we were talking about how people are in the hospital and sometimes the swallowing evaluation is delayed due to a Speech Pathologist is not available over the weekend and how this would delay the patient from having food or drink for a few days because no one was there who could clear them to eat or drink.  I relayed my story to them (adding in some humor).  At the break for that session a lady came up to me and told me that she could say that my story was true, because she was my Speech Pathologist who had the conversation.  That is one of those God moments.

Rehab and Beyond

When released from the hospital I went to (1) Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital for a couple of weeks and then to (2) Pi Beta Phi outpatient rehab at Vanderbilt.  Each one has many stories to tell but that may be for another time.  I will say that at St. Thomas Hospital (West), Stallworth Hospital, and Pi Beta Phil Outpatient Rehabilitation, they had wonderful Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Speech-Language Pathologists.  I never had to have Speech during the whole time.  Thanx and a Tip O Da Hat to Robert McPeters and Bruce Coble for driving me to outpatient rehab.  Suffice to say, progressively got better and was discharged to home. I was released from Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital on July 14th 2017, which was our 45 wedding anniversary. What a blessing it was.  I was still not 100 % but a lot better. They gave me things to do on my own.  As of this writing I am 95% better, still get light headed and dizzy at times but better.  I was eventually released to drive. 

The Blood Sugar Connection

As stated before the blood sugar was out of whack and the physicians are not sure if it was the high blood sugar that caused the stroke or if the stroke caused the high blood sugar.  Whatever it was, I had high blood sugar after the stroke.  I am unsure of the initial numbers but it was 400+ for the blood sugar readings with the A1C readings being at 15.3, with 7.0 being normal.  At some point during my stay I was on four shots of insulin on a sliding scale which was given for the convenience of the nurses.  When I returned home I went to an endocrinologist that had a nutritionist in the practice. 

Since the visit to the endocrinologist and the nutritionist my blood sugars have been progressively getting better to the point of three of the insulin shots being discontinued. I am currently taking one shot of insulin in the morning and metformin 2 times a day.  I have also changed my dietary habits watching carbs and attempting to increase exercise (which is a struggle). The A1C has progressively declined: 15.3, 14.5, 6.9, 6.6, 6.1.  

As I attack the diabetes problems on the physical level I am aggressively fighting it on a spiritual level.  On the spiritual level, 

1.  I am renewing my mind with the Word of God concerning supernatural healing.
2.  I am practicing Romans 4:17-21, where Abraham had a promise of a child that was delayed
     coming.  Abraham

• In hope against hope, believed
• Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since it was about a hundred year old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb (Romans 4:19) When it says “he contemplated his own body”, it means he took stock of the reality of his old worn out physical being.
• YET, with respect to the promise of God he DID NOT WAVER IN UNBELIEF
• Instead of wavering in UNBELIEF He GREW STRONG IN FAITH giving glory to God
• He gave glory to God
• He was FULLY ASSSURED/PERSUADED that what God had promised, He was able to perform.
• He knew the God who gives life to the dead and CALLS INTO BEING THAT WHICH DOES NOT EXIST. Many versions say it this way, “He calls things that are NOT as though they were.

Where many are concerning healing they call things that ARE as if they will never change.   With this in mind, I have begun to speak to my body as a mountain and tell it specifically what to do.   Every time I take my medication I speak out loud, “I thank God that I am NOT a diabetic. I thank You Lord that my blood sugars are normal, I thank you Lord that my A1C readings are within normal limits.  I thank you Lord that my pancreas and liver functions like it was designed to function.  I never personalize the dis-ease. I never say my diabetes, my stroke, my (fill in the blank).  

Ever since I have been doing this I am seeing a progressive decline in my numbers.  The A1C readings have gone from 4.5 down to 6.1 where 7.0 is normal.  Blood Sugars keep coming down on a more consistent level.  I do the same thing with the lingering effects of the stroke like feeling imbalanced.

Weight Loss

When Brenda and I first started dating back in 1969 I weighed a whopping 136 pounds.  Over the years I ballooned up to 325+ pounds. I lost down to 287 pounds and stayed there for years. Around 2 years ago, I joined Weight Watchers (again) with a goal to lose down to 200 pounds. Into the process I lost down to 230 pounds and then the stroke occurred.  Since the stroke I lost down to 188 pounds and now am leveling off between 190 and 205.  While the stroke was horrible, the weight loss is a good thing.

Retirement

During this time on September 1st, I officially retired.  At some point Brenda encouraged me to go back to work at my old job two days a week because I was spending too much time watching Gunsmoke. Can you really watch too much Gunsmoke?  I now work two days a week (seeing a limited amount of patients) and I am off on Mondays, and Wednesdays, Fridays.  I have time to write, play music, spend a couple of hours in Bible study and met people to eat lunch.  I also do housework, cook and get ready for Brenda to come home.  Brenda says when I met people for lunch it is called ROMEO, Retired Old Men Eating Out.

Final Thoughts…Finally

Well, that’s my story and I am sticking to it.  There are so many stories and people who came to see me and have prayed for me that I don’t remember but I am forever grateful to them all. I am especially grateful to Brenda who stayed by my side from the beginning until now.  I am also so grateful to be around to see the birth or our first granddaughter Emerson Grace Boyd born to my son Phillip and his wife Jamie.  I am overwhelmed with the feeling that this life is so precious and that life is too short to waste time on things that just don’t matter. 

I hope this chapter and actually the whole book will be a source of encouragement to press into the God of possibility as you are faced with impossibilities of life, whatever they may be.