Persistence, Patience, and Positive Attitude “According to your faith be it done unto you”

Matt. 9:29.

“Be not afraid, only believe” Mark 5:36.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen” Heb. 11:1.

When faced with what appears to be an

insurmountable challenge, do you give up in despair or

turn within to your faith? With the following first

hand report we suggest you turn on your faith and use

the gifts of persistence, patience and a positive attitude.

These faith filled virtues will see you through.

Smiling and laughing like old times, David and

Susan were waiting for us at a table in the busy

restaurant when we arrived. For the next hour and a

half we caught up on the incredible journey they had

just been through. The people walking by our table

paid us no particular attention, completely unaware

that they were in the presence of a miracle.

From a medical perspective, David Foege was

given no chance of recovery. From the political side,

he was being denied the one thing that saved his life.

From any perspective, David is one very special

guy! Very bright and energetic, David has spent his life

using his talents, skills, ambition and determination in

the pursuit of success. He has a law degree and a PhD.

He was a White House ‘staffer’ shortly after college,

and yet he has gone through enough medical

challenges for a dozen people. His failing kidney’s

were replaced twenty five years ago thanks to a

donation from his brother, and during the ensuing

years David weaned himself from all transplant

rejection medication, feeling the contraindications were

doing his body more harm than good. He has outlived

UPWARD BOUND J *O *U *R *N *A * L

SPIRITUAL LESSONS FOR YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH

Issue # 23

Art Holt photo

all of the other transplant

recipients of his era. But

his kidneys weren’t his

only problem. An over-

the-top type ‘A’ behavior

resulted in a massive heart

attack a few years before

we met at the Unity of

Naples Church in 1993.

Although he recovered

from the heart attack, it

did damage his heart

muscle, and about three

years ago the muscle loss was beginning to become

more and more debilitating.

Everything I know about David reflects three of

the best characteristics a person can exhibit. They are

Persistence, Patience, and Positive Attitude. If any one

of those ingredients were missing I wouldn’t be telling

this story. You see, as the heart muscle literally began

to die away, reducing his capacity to pump blood

through his body, he came nearer and nearer to the

conclusion of his life. But an optimistic intelligent man

like David doesn’t just give up, he searches for

possibilities, for solutions, and he doesn’t give up or

give in. He holds on with absolute faith that a solution

exists.

Stem Cell research provides more than hope or

remote possibilities, it is providing realistic solutions to

seemingly insurmountable circumstances. David began

pursuing a stem cell solution for his own life. But the

political/moral debate shut the door for any possible

stem cell therapy for David here in the United States.

That didn’t stop him. There was an excellent program

in Brazil and David and Susan made three trips there,

qualifying and preparing for the stem cell process. Too

much blood thinner was injected before the stem cell

procedure was to start and David succumbed to a

stroke as a result, but that didn’t stop him either. It

did require backing off and waiting for several precious

months before trying

again, however. The

final time they went to

Brazil for the

procedure they arrived

just as the medical

community became

embroiled in the stem

cell controversy and

before they could

operate, the program

was cancelled. David’s

heart muscle was now

dangerously deteriorated, down to 20 percent of its

capacity.

Back to Naples they came, seeking another stem

cell program anywhere in the world that would take

him in. They found one, in Bangkok, Thailand.

Here’s how the story was reported by WINK TV

News in Naples just a short time ago.

“David Foege of Naples doesn't take no for an

answer. Today, he's up and walking after being told he had

no hope. "You can bet I was gonna die," he recalls.

But Foege knows something about determination. Three

years ago, after doctors gave him little chance of recovering

from heart failure, Foege started seeking out experimental

stem cell treatments. After two failed procedures, he

traveled to Bangkok, Thailand in March.

“Doctors harvested his own stem cells, then injected

them back into his heart to improve its function.* He's one

of a handful of people in the world to undergo the treatment.

"It re-grows your heart," Foege says of the adult stem cell

therapy. "Your own cells go back into your body and are

injected into the parts of the heart that are not functioning

and these cells have your initials on it, your DNA on

them." In short, the heart helps repair itself. Foege was so

close to death, he suffered a heart attack moments before he

had the stem cell treatment.

Twenty five days after undergoing the treatment, Foege says his heart function has improved by 50%. He hopes in the coming

U P W A R D B O U N D J * O * U * R * N * A * L

Art Holt photo

months, he will be fully recovered. Not bad for someone who was told to find a hospice three years ago. "I was in the 30 day range for morbidity," he says.

Foege's cardiologist, Dr. Carlo Santos admits stem

cell therapy is promising. But he has concerns about the

experimental treatment. "I would want to know what the

long term effects are and what the risks are before I can

prescribe to patients," Dr. Santos says, noting the

treatment is not approved by the Food and Drug

Administration. "Once that's figured out, I think that'll be

the most exciting face of medicine that we'll be going into."

David Foege is excited too. "There are hundreds of

diseases that can be cured with this therapy," Foege says.

Stem cell therapy is believed to be beneficial for patients

with cancer, Parkinson's disease, or who have suffered from

stroke.

Foege hopes his treatment plays a small role in

improving medicine for millions of people.”

A lot of us were praying for David and our prayers

were certainly answered. Just a few days after the

doctors had injected David’s heart with 36 million of

his own stem cells, and the heart muscle deterioration

was reversed, we received a call from David and Susan

from their hotel room in Bangkok happily reporting

that things were on the mend. “And, oh by the way,”

David said, “we’re looking out our hotel window at the

elephants wandering through the grounds below.” We

could hear not only the relief in his voice, but the

return of the vigor for life David Foege always

exhibits. Persistence and Patience had paid off, and

the old Positive optimism was leading the way again.

We all have within us the power of regeneration;

in the period of one year virtually every cell in the body

is replaced with a brand new one. Some are

regenerated in a matter of hours or days, some take

more than a year. And some, like the decayed cells of a

large part of David’s heart stop regeneration altogether.

So the repair of David’s heart muscle was, as he

describes, like “receiving a slow motion heart

transplant.” It was regeneration, big time! David also

says the results of receiving his own adult stem cells

was like getting God’s Warranty work on his body.

As of our most recent check-in with David, we

can report that the regeneration continues its

miraculous work. David noted that an unexpected

bonus has been the disappearance of a bald spot. With

all the other plusses, he can now add hair-growth to his

list. If that’s the case, my only question is: “where do I

sign up?”

Dave is an inspiration to all of us. His depth of

faith in God, his knowing that the Power and Love of

God is always with him, and his ability to release and

trust that his efforts were done with God’s guidance,

are examples from which we all can learn. We can

study the Word of God daily, but unless we live by the

principles we learn, our lives can be fruitless. Dave

lives it! His lesson is ours to learn as well.

In God's Open Door, Dr. A. J. Cronin said: "The

demands life makes may seem hard at times, yet we

should never whine about it. God never takes without

giving something in return. Disappointments and

troubles are often the instruments with which He

fashions us for greater things to come.”

"Life is not a straight and easy corridor along which we travel

free and unhampered, but a maze of passages, through which we

must seek our way, sometimes lost and confused, sometimes

blocked in a blind alley. But always, if we have faith, God will

open a door for us, perhaps not the one we would ever have

thought of, but the one that will ultimately prove to be for our

highest and best good."

We have to give it a try. Something inside says,

do it! Just Do It! What would life be like if we never

gave it a try? If we conceded to every challenge and

gave up before making any effort to overcome? I'd

rather not even imagine it. I don't think we would

have survived as a species. Human kind would have

become extinct many thousands of years ago.

David Foege certainly would not have made it

without his persistence, and he probably couldn’t have

been persistent without the positive beliefs of an

U P W A R D B O U N D J * O * U * R * N * A * L

optimist. Intellectually knowing it could work allowed

him to be patient during the process. But it was all

three elements combined that gave him balance; each

one thus reinforcing the other two.

Occasionally we need to be reminded by someone

who has ‘been there’ before we can ‘get it’ ourselves.

Dr. Wayne Dyer was lecturing in a large Canadian

city and after his talk a woman came up to him and told

him about her teen-age daughter in the hospital with a

very rare, incurable disease. Dr. Dyer agreed to visit

the young girl and did so several times. Once as he sat

there holding the young girl’s hand he noticed a scab

that had formed over a place where an IV needle had

been removed. Excitedly, he pointed out to her that

the scab was proof that God knew how to cure her

body automatically without any external interventions.

The doctors, with all of their knowledge and ability,

could not have created that scab. He urged her to use

that scab as proof that Divine Healing is not just

possible; it is automatic and common and it is God’s

gift to us, available without even asking. He

encouraged her to apply the same faith that she had in

God to place a scab over her small wound - to God’s

ability to heal her whole body. He told her to relax and

allow her faith to bring about her healing.

Applying all the pure faith that her young soul

could muster, the young girl followed Dr. Dyer’s advice

and was healed.

Her faith was very similar to that of our friend,

David Foege. Her faith gave her optimism - very

positive thoughts; she persisted in her belief that her

healing came from within, and she was patient with the

process until it was completed. Patience, persistence

and positive thoughts may not be a ‘magic bullet,’ a

cure-all for everything from disease to disaster, but it is

a powerful force when the three are used in

combination.

We all face challenges of one sort or another

during our lifetimes and we can let those challenges

beat us down or make us stronger, more resilient,

more effective and successful in overcoming. And it is

our successes that teach us how to be persistent, patient

and optimistic., for these are the practical cornerstones

of our faith.

So if you should be asked: “What would you do if

faced with what appears to be an insurmountable

challenge?” You’ll be able to respond with confidence,

“My faith will see me through.”

And so it is.

Art Holt Art Holt Art Holt Art Holt

*(Fascinating medical note: David’s blood was taken from his arm just like any blood test. The container was flown from Bangkok to Jerusalem, to the world’s only stem cell lab of its kind. There the cells were incubated and all but the heart muscle cells and heart nerve cells were removed. The resulting stem cells (returned to Bangkok in seven days) were not only David’s DNA, but they were specifically his own muscle and nerve cells, which explains why they worked so quickly, dramatically and efficiently.)

For considerably more technical information and a possible life saving process for a friend or loved one, go to www.Theravitae.com, and www.vescell.com.

U P W A R D B O U N D J * O * U * R * N * A * L

Charles Fillmore wrote in his book, Prosperity, a

statement that has become one of my favorites. He said, “It is not sufficient to sit down and hold thoughts of metaphysical truth without further effort. That is limiting the law to thought alone, and we want it to be fulfilled in manifestation as well. Cultivating Ideas is the first step in the process. But, the ideas that come must also be used. Be alert in doing whatever comes to you to do, cheerful and competent in the doing, sure of the results, for this is the second step, and the fulfillment of the law.” In our stem cell story about David Foege, we have

a perfect example of Mr. Fillmore’s statement. David got the idea to pursue stem cell therapy and took every action he could until the healing results were manifested right in his own heart.

I invite you to take a moment now to feel the

joy of relaxation, and the peacefulness of allowing

your concerns to simply dissolve into the invisible

realm of contentment. Slowly begin to take in

and release one or two deep refreshing breaths.

Peace, be still.

All my prayers are answered

as I place my trust in God.

"Into your Presence, Lord, would I enter

now." I turn my attention to the Presence of God

within me. I have unlimited faith that the Presence

is within, around, over, and beneath me. For there

is only one Presence and one power, God the

Good, Omnipotent. There is nowhere I can be

where God is not, and so I give myself completely

to the source of all my good.

All my prayers are answered as I place my trust

in God. Nothing is more important than letting

go and trusting in God, for as I do, everything in

my life improves. With trusting faith, I feel better,

and my life is made richer; I am blessed, and I

become a blessing to everyone I meet along my

path.

And so I turn to God in prayer:

God, I open myself now to Your working in and

through me, for I realize that I am Your idea of life itself in

expression. I give myself over to Your presence, for here I

can feel that my words become Your words being expressed

through me. And as I give myself to Your Divine Will of

Good for me, I begin to feel that I am Your Works being

expressed as well, - and I am filled with joy at my oneness

with You.

I open myself to Your Presence, God, for You know

what is best for me - long before I ask. The closer I get

the more I understand - Your will for me is only good.

I open myself to understanding and expressing the

Presence of Your love God, for I know that You give Your

love to everyone, right here, right now, right where we are at

this moment ... and in every moment. Your love enfolds

me, sustains me, prospers and heals me And as I receive

Your love, Lord, so do I extend that love to others. In the

giving and receiving of Your Divine love, I consciously unify

myself with Your Presence. I feel that Presence around and

within me now. You are and I am truly one.

--- Slight Pause to Silently Listen ---

I fill my heart with Your fullness, God, and I

am lifted by Your answers to my prayers. I know

that my prayers are always answered when I turn,

with faith, to Your Presence that I find in the

stillness within. I remain open to whatever means

You provide, and give myself to follow Your

guidance willingly.

"God is working through me now to fill my

life in ways of good. All my prayers are

answered as I place my trust in God."

Silently I now give thanks, and slowly begin to

return my attention to my breathing and this

wonderful place and time. I inhale deeply to

refresh my body, and bring my attention to my

feeling of well being. I am truly grateful, Father,

and I do give thanks. My prayers are answered as I

place my trust in You.

And so it is. Amen.

M E D I T A T I O N

WORDS TO LIVE BY

We are guided by our knowledge that our thoughts and words create our reality. Let us acknowledge another word that

will impact our lives in wonderful ways if we give it its proper due. The word... "Stretch"

The word "Stretch" brings up the image of calisthenics

and exercise, but, it also means to get out of our comfort zone, to let more of the potential we were created with come out and become expressed.

Stretching has a very practical application. We are all Spiritual Beings of Infinite Possibilities, and we all have to stretch to meet God's expectations if we’re going to become all that we were created to be. One Sunday my minister came down from the platform and asked the congregation, “What do you want?” Sitting in the front row I recall saying to myself, “I want you to call on someone else.” The fear of public speaking had me frozen and my mind went blank. But in a very few minutes I had a wonderful realization, my fears were holding me back. I made a resolution that morning that this was the year I would face my fears and walk through them, proving to myself that my fears were powerless. Within one week my minister called, asking me to conduct a workshop, and a day or two later I received another call inviting me to speak to a professional group. Facing my fears, I stretched beyond my earlier limits and took the first steps that eventually led to a career in the ministry.

We are called upon daily to step up higher, to stretch, and sometimes that stretching may be as simple as using our head and doing what we know is right.

Alan Cohen and his fiancé were about to return to Hawaii when they found out that she had to make an emergency stop in Los Angeles. They checked their tickets, saw in the fine print, the tickets were non-refundable, non-transferable.

Knowing this, they told the airline representative their story. He brought their ticket information up on his computer screen. Making a change was going to cost $1000. The clerk stared at the screen as he pondered; he checked the reservations and saw all the flights had ample room. Finally he said, "You know, with this computer screen, I often have trouble reading the fine print." Then without another word he quietly rerouted them and handed them their new tickets. No hassle, and no charge.

The clerk stretched beyond the comfort zone of following the rules to the letter and took a personal responsibility for letting his heart guide his actions. Perhaps that's all that is required when we become willing to “Stretch.”

Upward

Bound

Journa

l

A Unity Publishing Ministry

Rev. Arthur Holt,

Unity Minister

Dottie Holt,

Licensed Unity Teacher

Upward Bound of Unity, Inc. 10870 SW 71st Circle

Ocala, FL 34476

Phone (352) 861 - 5518

Email: UpwardBoundRev@aol.com

Upward Bound Journal is a Unity publishing ministry based on Biblical

teachings and dedicated to writing and presenting spiritual, inspirational, and metaphysical principles which empower people to enrich and transform their lives.

For more information about Upward Bound check our website: www.upwardboundjournal.com. Issue # 23 Upward Bound Journal is © of Upward Bound of Unity, Inc.

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A FEW PASSING THOUGHTS…

Jesus said, “What things so-ever you desire, when you

pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have

them.” (Mark 11:24). We have often said that it is

our beliefs that determine our reality. The depth

of our faith is a mirror of our beliefs.

The more optimistic our beliefs; the more

willingness we have to pursue our desires; and

the more we’re able to release not only the

outcome, but the time it takes, the more we’re

demonstrating an

unwavering faith in God.

Simply put; we’re guiding

our lives with persistence,

patience and positive

thinking, by trusting in a

Power greater than

ourselves.

Reverend Jim Rosemergy has written: “Each

day is a new beginning, but one day can blend

into another until the adventure that is life is

disguised as just another day like the one before.

This occurs because we begin ‘again’ instead of

beginning ‘anew.’ When we begin again, we do

the same things we’ve done before. Our actions

today are just like yesterday, because our attitudes

and beliefs have not gown.”

For example, a man passed up for the job of

foreman went to his boss and complained.

“How could you pass me up? I have 17 years

experience.”

“Not quite true,” the boss replied. “You have

one year’s experience, you’ve just repeated it 17

times.”

Rev. Rosemergy concludes: “If we are to begin

anew, we must be new creations. Only by letting

go of the past can we begin anew.”