Success Prayers by Theodis Gamet

Success Prayers – Free Lessons Lesson 1: Care About Others Lesson 2: Do What is Right For Yourself Lesson 3: Take Your Health Seriously Lesson 4: Dangers Of Internet Dating Lesson 5: Courts Need to Deal with the Sick Differently Lesson 6: Check on People You Love Lesson 7: Ministers Need Support and Understanding Lesson 8: Be Careful What You Say to People Lesson 9: Change Negatives Into Positives Lesson 10: Appreciate People Lesson 11: Phones and 911 Devices Lesson 12: Unconditional Love Lesson 13: Power Of Prayer Lesson 14: Our Diet

Success Prayers – Woman Brought Back from Dead By Theodis Gamet and SanDee Zawada

This is the true documented modern-day miracle of how Lisa Williams was declared dead yet lives to tell about her ordeal. This is the account of what transpired and how extraordinary events were orchestrated for this miracle to occur. Theodis Gamet had only known Lisa for two years but they had become very good friends. Lisa had been invited to Theodis’ mother’s house for Thanksgiving but Thanksgiving came and went without Lisa. After a late Tuesday night meeting, Theodis being concerned for his friend went to check on her at her apartment where he is the manager. Theodis knocked on the door but when there was no answer he looked through the window. Lisa couldn’t be seen from the outside so having a key to the apartment, he went inside. 1

“When I unlocked the door and walked in, I saw Lisa lying on the floor with a gallon of vodka half empty next to her. Lisa just had a tee shirt on.” Gamet explained that Lisa was an alcoholic and when she would drink she would bleed and pass out because her liver was failing. “I saw blood on her and I thought she had just passed out drunk.” Theodis didn’t want to be in that setting so he walked out and shut the door when he strongly felt God telling him to go back in and check on her. Thankfully he listened to that inner voice and reopened the door. That’s when Theodis discovered Lisa’s arm was indented nearly all the way to the floor as he lifted Lisa’s right arm over her left arm. Theodis also noticed that Lisa’s eyes were open but were not responding. As Theodis was trying to help, he lifted Lisa’s head and that is when he saw the most ghastly, horrifying thing he has ever seen. Theodis said, “I was a marine and have seen dead people but I’ve never seen anything like that.” Theodis said he kept yelling, “Lisa no! Lisa no!” when he saw the left side of her face. “It was all gooey like boiled something or other. It was all slimy and flat and something white was coming out of her like vomit. It was like something was eating at her face and blood was in her mouth and nose. When I looked closer at her eye it was literally half way out of the socket. I had never seen anything like it before in my entire life. Theodis couldn’t believe Lisa was in such a horrific and desperate condition.

Emergency 911 Was Called As soon as Theodis had assessed the dire situation Lisa was in and fearing that he could not keep his friend alive until they got there, Theodis dialed Emergency 911 for help. The emergency operator asked Theodis all kinds of questions. “I told the 911 operator that Lisa was gasping for air. I also told her that Lisa has liver problems and had been drinking. The operator told me to put the phone next to Lisa’s head. They could not hear her breathing so they told me to turn Lisa over and start CPR. I told the lady that I couldn’t do that because there was a lot of blood and stuff in her mouth and nose and if I turned her over she would choke and stop breathing. They told me I had to do it, so I did. They said if I didn’t do it, she would die. “They explained to me that Lisa was not getting enough oxygen and I had to give her CPR. I followed their instructions and pushed her over from her side to her back and gently pumped her heart. My worst fears came to pass as Lisa stopped breathing and she had no pulse. The operator was counting with me and told me I was doing a good job so I kept on giving her CPR until the ambulance got there. “I heard the ambulance close by but I knew they would not be able to find the address so I ran outside and yelled at them. One of the paramedics saw me and rushed over and seven others quickly followed. Every single one of them immediately started working on Lisa trying to revive her with their life-saving procedures.

“It was all happening so fast and it was so frantic. I was answering their questions while they were working on her. I was amazed, one of the guys used a power drill and drilled a hole into Lisa’s right shin and put a tube in her while two other guys started two IV’s while others were trying to get her heart restarted. “I told them Lisa’s age and gave them her meds and told the paramedics that she was an alcoholic and had been drinking. Based on the readings, the machine told them not to shock her. I know she was so fragile. “They kept working on her but they weren’t making any headway because she had died and wasn’t responding. But they kept working on her and after about 10 minutes or so they gave Lisa a light shock and finally got a heartbeat and slight pulse. “After they put something down her throat to help her breathe they decided to take her to Valley Medical Center in Renton. “After the paramedics took Lisa away, I stayed at her apartment and got some of her belongings for safe keeping.”

Lisa Arrives at the Hospital After Lisa arrived at the hospital, the medics did what they could for Lisa and ran a lot of tests to find out what her actual condition was. Lisa had had a cardiac arrest and not only had her heart failed and was declared brain dead, her kidneys, lungs, and liver also failed and shut down, plus she had an infection in her lungs and blood and her skin was already decaying and dying in certain places. And to top it all off, Lisa had no eye movement at all. There was absolutely no sign of life and Lisa would have completely died if the breathing machine had been unplugged as she could not breathe on her own.

Lisa Was Declared to Have Irreversible Severe Brain Damage The next morning Theodis and his mom Virginia Valdez went to the hospital. Different nurses including the head nurse told them that Lisa was brain dead and that there was no chance of recovery. Lisa’s condition was described to them as being irreversible severe brain damage. Theodis said, “I asked multiple nurses if they have ever heard about anyone recovering from the kind of irreversible severe brain damage Lisa had and they all agreed nobody ever has; there was zero chance of her surviving. They explained to me that Lisa’s heart was barely functioning and there was so much brain damage and with her others organs shutting down that she would not last through the day. Tests were done on Lisa’s brain and eye function but neither one gave a response. Lisa had no control of her body and her organs were not working.” “They finally got Lisa’s heart working the night before at Lisa’s place but her brain had been deprived of oxygen. Even when she was lying on the floor paralyzed she was not getting enough oxygen. The 3

machine at the hospital still had to breathe for Lisa so the doctor said they couldn’t do anything more except just keep Lisa in that state.”

Doctors Contacted Next of Kin One of the nurses asked Theodis what his relationship was to Lisa. Theodis informed her they were friends so she asked about Lisa’s next of kin. Theodis had that information with him and gave the nurse her aunt and brother’s telephone numbers. The nurse could not get ahold of the aunt, but Lisa’s brother was contacted. Of course Lisa’s brother wanted to fly out to Seattle to see his sister but the doctor told him not to bother as Lisa would be dead before he got there probably in the next couple of hours. The doctor recommended that no resuscitation be given Lisa if her heart stopped as there was no chance for her survival so the brother agreed. Theodis stated: “The nurses let us know that Lisa wouldn’t last through the day. They were going to keep Lisa on the machine but if her heart failed again they were not going to revive her; they wouldn’t try to bring her back to life.” “So that’s when I went to Lisa and grabbed her hand and started talking to her. ‘Lisa you are going to have to fight! If you don’t they will unplug the machine and you will die!’ “I prayed for Lisa and asked God to forgive her of all her sins. I said, ‘Lisa, you have to open your eyes and wake up! You have to wake up or they will unplug you! You have nothing but time so pray for a miracle.’ “I asked Lisa if she could hear me. I said, ‘If you can hear me squeeze my hand.’ She squeezed my hand and then pulled it up to her chest!” Theodis stated that he didn’t assist Lisa at all; she did it all on her own. “Me and my mother were amazed. We were just in awe that she did that!” Theodis told the nurses what happened and that Lisa squeezed his hand and brought it to her chest. But a nurse explained it was just a natural reaction and that the only thing that could explain what happened was that Lisa must have had another seizure because there was no chance of her recovering. Even if Lisa happened to wake up, she would be a vegetable, not able to eat, not able to move at all, and that wouldn’t be any kind of a life for her. Lisa could not control her body and would never get out of that bed. Theodis asked the nurses if anyone can hear in the state Lisa was in. The nurses said that is one of the mysteries and they don’t know if anyone can hear or not.

People Prayed for Lisa Most people know the New Testament stories of how Jesus and Lazarus were brought back to life from the dead but no one has ever heard about a modern-day miracle like this where someone had died and 4

was brought back to life after an entire week. The doctors and nurses all agreed there was only one that could help Lisa and that was only by God’s saving miracle. Theodis went to the hospital to see Lisa every day. There were so many people and friends that started praying for Lisa. People that didn’t even know Lisa prayed for her. Pastors and congregations were praying for her. Theodis stated, “Her friends were praying because they loved Lisa. Pastors and congregations I knew were praying for Lisa because they cared for me and cared for all mankind and cared for what God can do.” Most people pray to God like, ‘If it be Your will’ but somehow we were not praying like that. We were asking God to heal Lisa and bring her back so she could get better!” Theodis further stated, “Together we actually believed that God could heal Lisa! Even though the doctors don’t have the final say in someone’s life at that point the only one that could bring Lisa back was God. And so every day people were praying and every day I cried for my friend. I had never cried for anybody before but I cried for Lisa because God put Lisa on my heart to help her.”

It Was a Miracle Lisa had been lying on the floor for at least seven days and her body – her organs, her skin, her brain – everything was literally dying. After discovering Lisa and seeing her condition, Theodis had only minutes to keep Lisa alive and get her help. Theodis did not have much hope that Lisa could survive. Her condition was ghastly. Lisa’s left eyeball was halfway out of its socket and Lisa had lost a lot of blood. “Just seeing her in that condition was unbelievable that she could make it.” Theodis had told Lisa that she had to fight for her life but then it was his turn – Theodis had to fight for Lisa too. So Theodis became Lisa’s advocate. While the doctors and nurses gave up on Lisa ever recovering, Theodis did not. He called people he knew and didn’t know to pray. People on Facebook spread the word about Lisa and people joined in and prayed. For one whole week Lisa had irreversible severe brain damage. The machines showed that Lisa’s brain and organs were not functioning. The doctors and nurses said that she would not recover. They said it was impossible medically speaking. Thankfully, the doctors kept Lisa on life support for the coming week because she had no signs of improving. But something miraculously happened after the first week – Lisa opened her eyes! Theodis was contacted by the hospital and went to see Lisa. His tears of grief turned into tears of joy. His and others’ prayers were being answered. “As far as I know, no one has come back to life from the lifeless state Lisa’s body was in. I mean she came back after one week and since that momentous moment when she opened her eyes, Lisa has been steadily improving. 5

“At first, I was shocked at Lisa’s condition because she was so bad, but now I’m thrilled because she is doing so well.”

Lisa Was On the Floor for Seven Days There are two main reasons why it was determined that Lisa had been lying on the floor unable to move for a minimum of seven days. One reason was because Lisa was an avid Facebook poster. On November 25, 2013, Lisa stopped posting on Facebook. By November 26 Lisa’s friends were inquiring on her Facebook page if she was all right because she was not responding to their comments and they could not connect with her. This was very unusual for Lisa. On November 26 Theodis and others were calling Lisa as well. They called numerous times getting no response. The second reason is that one of the nurses explained that Lisa had been lying on her left side and it takes time for damage like hers to occur. Lisa had been down so long her skin died. Bacteria and decomposition ate through her skin, fat, and muscle and if she had been there any longer it would have made it all the way to the bone. Lisa had an ulcer on her left side that went down through the muscle. That is how they can gage how long Lisa had been lying there.

Sequence of Events This is the sequence of events from November 25 to December 23, 2013, and how rapidly Lisa improved: November 25

Lisa purchased some items from a store and posted on Facebook.

November 26

People started calling Lisa to check on her but got no response. Theodis and his mom both were trying to contact her by phone.

December 3

Theodis found Lisa and called Emergency 911. Lisa died from cardiac arrest. After about 10 minutes the paramedics resuscitated her and she was taken to the hospital. Lisa was being kept alive by a breathing machine while tests were being performed.

December 4

Theodis and his mother were told that Lisa was declared to have irreversible severe brain damage with no chance of recovery. People were contacted to pray.

December 5-8

Lisa remained paralyzed and unconscious. Theodis visited Lisa every day and prayed and encouraged her.

December 9

The hospital called Theodis and told him Lisa opened her eyes. Theodis went to see Lisa in the hospital where she responded to him. Theodis spread the good news about Lisa.

December 10

Lisa turned her head.

December 11

Lisa got off the breathing machine and spoke her first words. Lisa said she wanted a hotdog, a puppy, her teeth fixed, and wanted to move back to Kentucky to get better and get a liver transplant. Theodis asked her to move her arms and toes and she did so. She also started drinking sips of water.

December 12

Lisa moved out of critical care and started saying complete sentences. She moved her leg and started eating ice. People around the hospital were buzzing with the news about Lisa.

December 13

This is the day Lisa started smiling. She actually lifted her leg and started drinking orange juice.

December 14

Lisa started eating popsicles and laughing. She talked on the phone with her friend Michelle in Kentucky. Lisa and Michelle went to high school together in Hollywood Florida. And by coincidence Michelle now lives in the town of Florence Kentucky where Lisa’s grandparents helped build that town. Lisa found Michelle recently on Facebook living in her home town in Kentucky. Florence is where Lisa wants to move to. Michelle is the person who headed up the prayer chain for Lisa on Facebook. Michelle was still up after 11:00 p.m. her time when Lisa called. Michelle was so excited to be able to talk with her friend Lisa. They hadn’t seen each other for years and years. They talked only for a short while. Lisa also talked on the phone with Theodis’ brother for a few minutes but soon tired and went to sleep.

December 15

Lisa sat in a chair and held a cup on her own for the first time. She drank a protein drink and watched football.

December 16

Lisa started to request different things like her clothes and a computer so she could get on Facebook. Lisa would order food from the hospital cafeteria but couldn’t eat it. At least Lisa was getting her appetite back.

December 17

Lisa requested things like lipstick, nail polish, and other personal items. She also asked for food from Taco Bell as well as other fast-food restaurants.

December 18

Lisa stood up briefly in a walker. She picked up the phone and called Theodis. Lisa was definitely getting stronger. She got a little depressed and cried about her situation.

December 19

Lisa rolled over by herself and was responding very well to resistance when her arms were squeezed very hard. She ordered fresh fruits and enjoyed eating them. She bragged how much she could eat and even ordered another container. During the day Lisa called Theodis on the phone. “Lisa was amazing! Her thinking was clearer and more detailed than before her ordeal,” stated Theodis. In the evening SanDee Zawada, Theodis’ partner, went with Theodis to visit Lisa. When Lisa shook hands with SanDee and Theodis, they were surprised at how strong she was. Lisa was holding complete conversations and recalling past stories from her life even though she had been given a sleeping pill before they got there. When Theodis asked Lisa if she wanted to get better, Lisa said that she wants to live because she almost died and she said she was not going to drink ever again. Lisa said she did not realize that taking meds and drinking alcohol would do that to her.

December 20

Lisa was to be moved to a physical therapy location in Burien Washington but started having seizures again. The hospital found the reason for the seizures as she had a

chemical imbalance in her brain. Lisa is improving but she will be monitored for a few days before she is allowed to be moved. December 21

Lisa’s appetite is getting better and she is definitely improving. Lisa is turning over more and sitting up longer.

December 22

Lisa is beginning to be her feisty self again. It’s great to see her improving every day. She now has her computer so she can get back on Facebook and connect with her friends once again.

December 23

This is the day that Lisa will be moved to a physical therapy location and start physical therapy.

What Led to Lisa’s Alcohol Overdose If you think the events in Lisa’s life were bad this past month, the events that led to Lisa’s alcohol overdose were almost as harrowing. Here’s the rest of the story. For the past two years things that happened in Lisa’s life had set her up for sadness and depression and have taken their toll on her emotions and health. “The circumstances that led Lisa to the Seattle area were crazy,” stated Gamet. “She was living in Ohio at the time she met this guy on the internet and she fell in love with him. The guy lived in Burien Washington outside of Seattle. He told Lisa he was an airplane pilot but he lied. The guy lied to get the girl and then when he didn’t want her any more after only two weeks he called the police on her and lied again. “Lisa had moved out of her house in Ohio to be with this dude. She asked a friend to take care of her precious personal belongings like her pictures and keepsakes and was assured by her that she would. Lisa left her friend with the two trunks and the friend told Lisa she could get them later after she got settled. Then Lisa took the Greyhound Bus to Seattle. “On the way to Seattle, Lisa had a seizure in Kansas. Lisa had never had a seizure before and while she was having the seizure someone stole her purse. Lisa was taken to the hospital but her ID, money, and everything in her purse were gone. “When Lisa got to Seattle the guy met her at the bus station. Lisa was only with the guy for a couple of weeks but the effects of those two weeks have been a long, hard fought nightmare that ended up two years later with sending Lisa on a drinking binge. “Later when Lisa tried to get her trunks sent to her, Lisa’s friend in Ohio told her that she couldn’t have them back. Her friend said she got rid of them. Now, Lisa doesn’t have any of her precious memory keepsakes!”

It’s Wintertime and Cold Out There

What we know about the guy (no names please) is that he lied to Lisa to get her to move in with him. He didn’t have a job and his intentions toward Lisa were not good. On the internet he led Lisa to believe he loved her and wanted to make a life with her. But that was not the case. Late one night this guy threw Lisa out in the street in the cold and dead of winter. Lisa found herself on the street with no ID, no money, and without her clothes. What happened was, the guy decided to throw Lisa out of his place and called the police. When the police showed up to take the guy’s statement, the policeman gave Lisa some money and told her to go to Denny’s. Later, still confused at what had just happened, Lisa rode the bus around town for a while trying to figure things out. When Lisa went back to the guy’s house to change her clothes that’s when the police were called out again and Lisa was taken to jail. All Lisa wanted was her clothes but what she got instead was the shock of her life. Lisa was not aware and certainly had not been told that the guy had put a restraining order on her. So Lisa unknowingly broke the restraining order. After Lisa was released from jail she was back out on the street with no place to go. Not knowing anyone or the area or where to go, Lisa ended up falling asleep on a bench in the snow near the guys place. Being very cold after she woke up, Lisa went back to the guy’s place to try to get her clothes. The police arrested Lisa again and booked her in jail for a second time. When Lisa got out of jail, she was back on the street alone when someone tried to rape her. Fortunately Lisa was strong enough and fought him off. Lisa was sitting at a bus stop when Theodis found her with a big black eye and busted lip. It was a very cold night and past midnight with no shelters open. Theodis has a ministry of helping homeless people and was thankful he found Lisa. Theodis stopped and talked with Lisa and she told him what was going on. Theodis could not leave her in the cold so he took her to his office where she stayed on the coach. Lisa ended up staying there for about 10 months and was not required to pay rent. Lisa had been an alcoholic for most of her life and informed Theodis that she would never stop drinking. “After Lisa had been at my place for about six months, she got really sick and wasn’t getting better, so I made her go to the hospital,” stated Theodis. “That is when doctors found out Lisa had liver damage cuz she had been drinking most of her life. Lisa also had Hepatitis C which is associated with being an alcoholic but is not contagious. At that time the doctors gave Lisa only four months to live so that was that. “I helped Lisa get on public assistance. Lisa didn’t have any identification and it was hard getting it but she somehow got on SSI. Finally after she got her ID, Lisa was able to live on her own and afford rent. She qualified for a home care giver but wanted to live alone, do things on her own, and go to work, but it didn’t turn out that way.

“The guy kept calling Lisa and leaving word for her to call him because he was sad and threatened to commit suicide if she didn’t call him back. I warned Lisa not to do it because there was a restraining order on her but she wanted to help so she called him. “Some people are just mean and want to make life miserable for others so the police were called a third time. The guy turned Lisa into the police for breaking her restraining order and the police picked Lisa up again. This was the third time Lisa went to jail and she has been battling the court ever since. “Lisa had been living by herself for about a year and was doing really well but would get sad and depressed sometimes especially around the holidays. Lisa wanted to go home to Kentucky because she felt she needed the support of family and friends to get better physically. But that couldn’t happen because of her legal ordeal. So, Lisa ended up so sick and depressed right before Thanksgiving that she purchased two gallons of vodka. Apparently one and a half gallons were consumed by Lisa during November 25th and 26th before she collapsed.” Because of Lisa’s weak liver and her being on pain medication Lisa went into cardiac arrest. Lisa fell to the floor paralyzed and could not move for seven or eight days. The only thing Lisa remembers about lying there is that she realized her eyeball was half out of its socket and she was scared.

Coincidence of Events That Led to Lisa Being Discovered 

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On November 26th when Theodis and his mom tried to contact Lisa, she didn’t answer her phone. There had been arrangements made ahead of time so that Lisa would stay at Theodis’ mom’s house and help with the Thanksgiving preparations and dinner. They were calling to confirm their plans. A set of circumstances kept Theodis and his mother from checking on Lisa personally and picking her up for the special Thanksgiving holiday. Theodis was on a business trip and his mother’s car had broken down. Both kept trying to contact Lisa by telephone with no result in reaching her. Because Lisa didn’t answer her phone they assumed she did not want to get together, so they just let it go. Lisa was sick and depressed and was on pain medications. Due to a combination of meds and alcohol, Lisa went into cardiac arrest which caused her to pass out unable to move. Lisa had been lying on the floor paralyzed for a week trying to survive. Theodis was at a meeting close to Lisa’s apartment and decided to pay her a visit. Theodis was the only person who had a key to Lisa’s apartment and he was the one who found her.

Lessons We Can Learn From Lisa’s Ordeal Theodis stated, “It’s pretty amazing that one event that ended up being life changing can have so many lessons.

Lesson One – Care About Others 10

“I guess the biggest lesson we can learn from this is to really care about other people. At first, I was the only person that cared about Lisa. She was lazy and certainly messy and didn’t seem to care. She was sad and depressed over her legal plight and just wanted to go home. “But after Lisa got diagnosed with liver failure, she changed. She became outgoing and happy and started appreciating life again. Her ordeal caused Lisa to be very despondent but she turned all that around because someone cared about her. After that, when she would go into a room, she would light up the place. “Lisa started making friends and people started liking her. But Lisa was not a happy person for six months when she first moved here. That’s a long time – six months. A lot of people I knew during that time advised me not to help Lisa. They couldn’t understand why I was taking care of her. But how we treat and talk to people is important because we don’t really know another people’s life. “We need to be so careful and considerate and kind to other people, and what we say to a person matters and our words can cause good or they can cause harm. One little thing can change a person’s life and turn that person around for their good.

Lesson Two – Do What is Right For Yourself “Another lesson we can learn is about being too independent. Lisa was very independent and wanted to live by herself, but now she realizes she has to have someone around her and checking on her. People need to do what is right for themselves and be cautious especially when they have a debilitating lifethreatening illness. “Lisa had been an alcoholic for most of her life with no desire to stop drinking. After she got the diagnosis that she only had four months to live, Lisa stopped drinking except on occasion when she got very sad. Now Lisa understands after she died and came back how precious life really is and that she needs to respect that and completely stay off alcohol. Lisa has made a commitment never to drink again.

Lesson Three – Take Your Health Seriously “So a big lesson here is to take your life and health seriously. If a person is an alcoholic or drinks a lot, they need to assess the harm that it can do to their body. The best thing a person can do for themselves is turn their thinking around and get help. I guess that goes for other conditions as well.

Lesson Four – Dangers Of Internet Dating “We also need to understand that internet dating can be dangerous. It can cause a person to be left in a city with no money and even worse things happening to them. People have to protect themselves and do research or don’t do internet dating at all. “Men and women both need to be wiser and more cautious. It is hard to get to know someone in person much less through a matching internet dating site. I would say just be careful. It is not good to move somewhere without getting to know a person first and it takes about a year or so to really get to 11

know someone in person. There are a lot of success stories out there for internet dating but there are a lot of horror stories as well.

Lesson Five – Courts Need to Deal with the Sick Differently “As far as the courts go, especially when they are dealing with a person that is sick, they need to handle them differently. When there is too much pressure put on a very sick person or too many court dates being demanded of them or unnecessary or unjust punishment, things like these can cause more harm than good. And all these things happened to Lisa. “In Lisa’s case she didn’t want to admit to anyone that she was sick. I talked with Lisa and advised her to go to the judge and explain her circumstances but she just wanted to deal with it like a normal person and not use her physical condition as a crutch to get out of anything. She didn’t let people know what was happening to her physically and just wanted to handle things like any other person. “After Lisa woke up and I got her Power of Attorney, I went to talk with a lawyer about her situation. This lawyer committed to talk with the court about Lisa’s case and hopefully it will be dropped so she can go home. There are no guarantees but the lawyer is going to meet with the judge and ask him to drop all charges against Lisa.

Lesson Six – Check on People You Love “This was a wakeup call for me. It really hit me hard how important it is to check on a person at least within 24 hours if they are not returning phone calls or if they cannot be reached in some way. In Lisa’s case, I tried many times to get in touch with her by telephone but did not go over to her apartment when I should have. “It makes me feel very sad and I feel somewhat responsible for Lisa getting in that condition. I should have gone over to Lisa’s days before right after I got back from my trip. My mom feels really badly too. Her car broke down and yes she was trying to get another car and it was the busy holiday season but she blames herself that she did not take time to get on a bus and go over to Lisa’s apartment to check on her. “Sometimes we allow friends and family and a busy schedule to dictate our time when in fact, we should act on our impulses when we feel like we should check on a person. What if I had not gone over after my meeting on that Tuesday night? Lisa would be dead right now! I never would have recovered and neither would my mom. We would have felt so responsible for Lisa dying. Well, she did die but thankfully she was brought back to us! “What if an elderly person has fallen or someone has a heart attack. We need to be there for our loved ones and acquaintances. They might need our help and what if we are the only person that checks on them?

Lesson Seven – Ministers Need Support and Understanding

“Another huge lesson we can learn from and that is about jealousy. Jealousy has no place in a relationship especially a minister’s relationship. Whether it is a spouse or a family member or someone else, ministers have to be there for hurting people. “What if a mentally ill person calls a minister? That person doesn’t need to be put on hold or told to call back. They are calling because they need help right then. It only takes a few minutes to talk with someone and encourage them even if it is during dinner or even if you need to visit them. And what about if someone is discouraged or depressed? That is what ministers do – they help hurting people and they need to be available to do just that. “If a minister has to deal with jealous people in their lives, it is hard for them to do what they were called to do. Minister’s need support, understanding, and the freedom to do their calling. Please be aware and be considerate of a minister’s need for support in this area. It can affect people’s lives and perhaps save a life too.

Lesson Eight – Be Careful What You Say to People “Ministers and people alike have to be so careful what they say and how they treat people because it is easy to discourage some people especially when they are fragile emotionally and physically. How a situation is handled can help a person or do the opposite. It doesn’t take much time out of a day to talk with someone and help them but it has to happen. It could be an emergency.

Lesson Nine – Change Negatives Into Positives “A big lesson that we can learn here is about changing our negative thinking and actions into being positive. Lisa had legitimate reasons to be depressed and despondent because of her legal situation but when she heard the shocking news of only having four months to live it did just that – shocked her. She turned her life around and started taking responsibility for herself. The main thing she did was get off of alcohol, mostly anyway, and her health improved big time. “But what I’m talking about here is people can change their circumstances without having to have a lifethreatening report like Lisa. We now have a curriculum where a person can address negative issues in their lives and clear them out without having to get into a bottomed out situation. It just takes a little time and effort and people’s lives can change for the better. This is something brand new we’re starting and I’m really excited about the possibilities. “When we have a positive attitude and have taken care of our negative issues, we attract more positive people. That is huge. You can actually turn your life around by dealing with those hidden fears and negative things that are stored inside of you. Those things can cause you to make unwise choices and they can cause physical and emotional pain. Learn to deal with those kinds of things before they become stored negatives that attract negative situations. And if a person already has stored issues, they need to deal with them and release them.

Lesson Ten – Appreciate People

“I think a lesson most people can learn here is to appreciate people more in general. First of all, I think most of us could show more appreciation to our families. As parents get older, they may need better understanding for their limitations physically, mentally, and even emotionally. “I see family members that don’t take time to really get to know each other and therefore they assume too much and I think that is where a lot of hard feelings come into play. People change over time. People are always changing even our family members and friends. This can apply to friends as well. Appreciating people takes time and you have to get to know a person to really appreciate them. Think of how much more rewarding you would feel if people took the time to get to know the real you. “Also, cultivating an appreciative attitude is so important in these times when people are so connected through technology. We’ve allowed our phones, computers, and activities to take our time away from personal time to be with our family and friends. “We also need to appreciate people while they are still alive. When Lisa walked into a room, she was all happy and joyful but mostly people in our day and age do not really appreciate people until they’re gone. This is sad.

Lesson Eleven – Phones and 911 Devices “Lisa had three phones, two house phones and a cell phone and all three were non-functional. Somehow, some way, we need to have means whereby people call for help. I know Lisa was paralyzed and couldn’t move, but it is a lesson for others anyway.

Lesson Twelve – Unconditional Love “A huge lesson we can learn about Lisa is to have unconditional love for others. Even though Lisa had been depressed and was not easy to be around with unconditional love Lisa changed and became a better person. She became happy and a pleasure for others to know.

Lesson Thirteen – Power Of Prayer “And of course, there is the lesson of the power of prayer. Where would we be without a God that loves us and cares about us? God is the one who brought Lisa back. I’m so thankful that God hears and answers prayer. “I’ll never get over the fact that Lisa is alive – I’ll never get over it. It is amazing. My mom says the same thing. Every time for the rest of our lives when we look at Lisa we will realize that we are looking at a miracle. We will never be able to get this out of our minds. “I don’t know if Lisa can ever imagine how truly grim her situation was when there was no hope of her surviving but when someone comes back like that – it’s just weird; it is totally different. You appreciate that person so much more.

Lesson Fourteen – Our Diet

“Lisa was having a lot of seizures right after she was taken to the hospital but they got better and she didn’t have a seizure for a number of days. Soon after Lisa work up and started eating, she had another seizure so the doctors wouldn’t release her until they performed more tests on her. What they found was that Lisa had a chemical imbalance in her brain so the doctors are treating her for that and now Lisa is stabilizing in that area as well. “I just want to say here that Lisa hasn’t had a very good diet her whole life and I think that has contributed to her having seizures. Typically Lisa’s diet mostly consisted of eating junk food and take-out food and using aspartame as a sweetener. It is my understanding that aspartame is a synthetic sweetener and can cause seizures and while Lisa was in the hospital, they were giving her soda with aspartame in it which could have contributed to her having more seizures. “So here comes another lesson, I guess. I just think people need to be careful what they put in their bodies. Having a good died is so important; you are what you eat. From what I’ve read, aspartame and GMOs can cause a lot of damage to people and animals alike. I’m no expert in this area but people with debilitating conditions tend to get better when they get off of these two things. “Thankfully Lisa is getting better every single day but she isn’t out of the woods yet. Everyone is still praying for Lisa. It is so amazing. I am just awed. I still can’t get over it. I still find myself tearing up when I think about it. “I don’t think people really understand what irreversible severe brain damage is all about. No one can survive that! Perhaps people will believe and perhaps they won’t, but it happened. People can deny it happened but it’s all documented. “I’m going to get Lisa’s medical records since I’m her Power of Attorney then I can show them to people if they want. People will believe what happened or they won’t, that’s just up to them. I’m just happy and thankful Lisa came back to us.”