Bouncing Back When Your Chances Are Zero
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I have published a new book about my life. When I was four years old, I was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The doctors gave me one week to live, and said my chances were zero! That was 42 years ago, so it’s been a LONG week!
God has graciously used my life story and messages to reach people all over the world.
The book is entitled “Bouncing Back When Your Chances Are Zero!”.
I asked my friend Ken Turner to write the “Intro”. Here is what he wrote:
What are the chances you will succeed? What are the chances you will overcome the obstacle you are facing right now in your life? What are the real numbers? The chance your marriage will last, you will get the promotion you so desire, your kids will turn out right, you will find true love and a meaningful life? What are the chances? Decisions are made every day based on numbers… statistics. Sometimes we let those numbers tell us whether to keep trying, whether to continue or drop out, whether to even get up in the morning or stay in bed. If you lose “hope” you are in for a deep, dark journey. My friend Joshua’s number was zero. It doesn’t get any lower than zero! Not a fifty-fifty chance he would make it, not a twenty-five percent chance, not even ten percent. Zero! Think about that.
Joshua Goodling has been my friend for almost thirty years. We met on a college campus while we were both preparing for ministry. I love this guy. He was walking around in his small frame with joy, determination and an amazing passion to pursue a vibrant life for God. More than once we have had dinner in a restaurant and he was, for the hundredth time, handed a kids menu! He laughs it off and goes on to order a man sized steak! I saw him graduate college, strive to do ministry work as an evangelist but once again, obstacles raised their head and cast a dark shadow over him. Pastors were afraid to use him as a speaker. He was small, his vocal chords were paralyzed and his voice was hard to understand at first. He never gave up. Eventually he had to do something to get on his feet and he took a temporary job in an office. He taught himself how to build a web page for the small office where he was working. He mastered web development and eventually was hired by WebMD in Atlanta, and then on to Premier Global Services as a Director. God had a plan and through various connections I have watched Joshua rise out of the ashes of adversity to speak to groups of fifteen and groups of five thousand, followed by endless standing ovations.
This book will inspire you. Walk with Joshua as a four year old boy just diagnosed with cancer. Listen with him as the doctors say the chance of survival is zero and he has one week to live. Lie with him on the operating table as a little boy, not understanding what the doctors are doing to him. Stand beside him and watch as God heals him, ignites a passion in his heart to live out his mission. Listen to him talk about the possibilities and notice how he ignores the “limitations” because God is real and He can do above all we could ask or think.
Joshua’s message isn’t one that preaches positive thinking or success. He knows God healed him but he also knows others didn’t survive cancer. He knows that God has unique plans for each person and whether that plan is to live four years or one hundred and four years, Joshua’s message is to ignite in others a love for God, and an understanding of God’s love for us and a passion to live life to the fullest as God intended.
I know you will be impacted by his story.
I Corinthians 1:25-29, Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Ken Turner
High Impact Teens
Dayton, Tennessee
The book is available here: http://www.lulu.com/shop/joshua-goodling/bouncing-back-when-your-chance… Bouncing Back.. .
God has graciously used my life story and messages to reach people all over the world.
The book is entitled “Bouncing Back When Your Chances Are Zero!”.
I asked my friend Ken Turner to write the “Intro”. Here is what he wrote:
What are the chances you will succeed? What are the chances you will overcome the obstacle you are facing right now in your life? What are the real numbers? The chance your marriage will last, you will get the promotion you so desire, your kids will turn out right, you will find true love and a meaningful life? What are the chances? Decisions are made every day based on numbers… statistics. Sometimes we let those numbers tell us whether to keep trying, whether to continue or drop out, whether to even get up in the morning or stay in bed. If you lose “hope” you are in for a deep, dark journey. My friend Joshua’s number was zero. It doesn’t get any lower than zero! Not a fifty-fifty chance he would make it, not a twenty-five percent chance, not even ten percent. Zero! Think about that.
Joshua Goodling has been my friend for almost thirty years. We met on a college campus while we were both preparing for ministry. I love this guy. He was walking around in his small frame with joy, determination and an amazing passion to pursue a vibrant life for God. More than once we have had dinner in a restaurant and he was, for the hundredth time, handed a kids menu! He laughs it off and goes on to order a man sized steak! I saw him graduate college, strive to do ministry work as an evangelist but once again, obstacles raised their head and cast a dark shadow over him. Pastors were afraid to use him as a speaker. He was small, his vocal chords were paralyzed and his voice was hard to understand at first. He never gave up. Eventually he had to do something to get on his feet and he took a temporary job in an office. He taught himself how to build a web page for the small office where he was working. He mastered web development and eventually was hired by WebMD in Atlanta, and then on to Premier Global Services as a Director. God had a plan and through various connections I have watched Joshua rise out of the ashes of adversity to speak to groups of fifteen and groups of five thousand, followed by endless standing ovations.
This book will inspire you. Walk with Joshua as a four year old boy just diagnosed with cancer. Listen with him as the doctors say the chance of survival is zero and he has one week to live. Lie with him on the operating table as a little boy, not understanding what the doctors are doing to him. Stand beside him and watch as God heals him, ignites a passion in his heart to live out his mission. Listen to him talk about the possibilities and notice how he ignores the “limitations” because God is real and He can do above all we could ask or think.
Joshua’s message isn’t one that preaches positive thinking or success. He knows God healed him but he also knows others didn’t survive cancer. He knows that God has unique plans for each person and whether that plan is to live four years or one hundred and four years, Joshua’s message is to ignite in others a love for God, and an understanding of God’s love for us and a passion to live life to the fullest as God intended.
I know you will be impacted by his story.
I Corinthians 1:25-29, Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Ken Turner
High Impact Teens
Dayton, Tennessee
The book is available here: http://www.lulu.com/shop/joshua-goodling/bouncing-back-when-your-chance… Bouncing Back.. .
Thank yoy for sharing this. I am afraid our prejudices have denied you a hearing and impact in our lives in many cases but it appears in many other cases you have edified and built up the body of Christ with God’s unique ministry through you.
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