Jump David Jump

Help Me, Help You, Help Your Teens...

Sorry for the Jerry Maguire title... let me explain.

My company, Dot&Cross, has spent the past 2 years working with one of our partners, Josh Shipp. You may have heard me mention 'Hey Josh' before? Yes, he is the Josh of Hey Josh.

I have a favor I need to ask of you, but first... Josh deserves a brief back story: Josh was left at the hospital when he was born. Yes, left = orphan baby. He's never met anyone related to him. He went through about 15 foster care homes before he was 15 years old. He's been arrested, abused, abandoned, etc... But when he was a teenager he made a decision to take all this unfair pain he has been dealt and choose to get either bitter or better.

Well, he chose to get better and started speaking to teens helping them make better decisions about their lives. In the past 10 years Josh has spoken to over 1 million teens, been featured on MTV's Total Request Live (*RIP), Comedy Central, and been interviewed in the LA Times, Washington Post, NY Daily News, etc... and a bunch of other fancy stuff.

Dot&Cross came across Josh and immediately recognized his potential via his uncanny ability to reach and impact teens. We partnered with him to create Hey Josh, a brand focused on entertaining, educating and inspiring today's teens. We have created an interactive teen website focused on advice, 4 short films focused on issues of Identity, Career, Dealing with Parents, Money (with many more films to come). We've also shot a pilot of Josh's brilliant new television show called Jump Shipp which will be featured on a new cable channel this fall, Halogen TV. But in addition, Josh creates weekly advice shows that can be seen on HeyJosh.com. Seriously, you should check them out, they are hilarious.

In fact, let's have Josh explain what Hey Josh is:

One of the best things about Dot&Cross is getting to work directly with people who are doing everything they can to make the world a better place. Josh is no exception. From a business standpoint, he is a class-act and deserves all of the success he has received, but from a personal standpoint, he is one of the most stand-up guys I know. Honestly, he has moved from a business partner to one of my closest friends. So without any hesitation, I would ask that you would help support his cause which brings me to some VERY exciting news.

The world is finally starting to catch on! Josh is currently being featured by INC Magazine as one of America's Coolest Young Entrepreneurs in an annual vote they call, '30 Under 30'. Dot&Cross, Josh and I would be very appreciative if you would take 2 seconds and visit the voting website at Inc. Magazine to vote for Josh.

If you want to read more about Josh and '30 Under 30', click here to view his profile page.

However, click here if you would like to vote for Hey Josh.

I really appreciate it. It will seriously only take you 5 seconds and we would all love to see Josh win the contest for the sake of teens today (who we all know need some help). If you have a blog, facebook page or a Twitter account, it would be incredible if you could jump on board the Hey Josh train and do a little of your own promotion as well.

For more detail, you can go to HeyJosh.com to connect with Josh through Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, etc...

Or, if you are a parent or teacher of teens, I have a special gift for you which requires me to tell you 2 things:

1. I'm sorry. I know it's difficult. Hang in there...

2. Go here! www.grownups.HeyJosh.com You'll thank me when you're older. Enjoy.

The 'Other' Days

Some days the writing comes easily so I write. This is why a quick review of my blogs displays a general overtone of faith and hope in my life. Because I write on the good days when everything makes sense. On those days I feel comfortable staring cancer in the face and saying, "bring it on".  But on the 'other' days, days like today, I want to throw expensive things out of windows.

I need to remind myself that these feelings are Okay. It seems half of the Psalms in the Bible are comprised of King David whining to God about how much life sucks and how God seems so far away or crying out for rescue because nothing makes any sense. Considering I feel a connection with the story of David in the Bible, it seems fair that I get to share in days similar to these. In fact, God said David was a man after His own heart, even though these days came. So I share these days with you because, well... it's life. So I write this, not out of anger, but out of blunt honesty that stings as I quickly type the words.

It just needs to be said that faith is always countered by it's opposition - doubt. I admit that I have faith in something that I cannot see and every once and while, my vision gets fuzzy and the doubt starts to creep it. And as much as I despise it, I can't argue that every day marked by hope and faith has a day of worry and loneliness lurking behind it.

So for all of you who wonder at my seemingly eternal positive demeanor, this one's for you. Here's a nibble of a 'full-disclosure' biscuit that tastes like crap.

November 17th, 2009

The day has been set.

I will be returning to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor on November 17th to undergo an MRI to measure any changes in the tumor. I will be meeting with "Other Dr." as well as the head of the neuro-department. He is the equivalent of 'Dr. Awesome' at U of M.

As far as I can tell, 1 of 4 things will happen.

Possible Outcomes:

1. Tumor grows: It seems unlikely that much growth could have occurred considering it has taken awhile (10 years?) for my tumor to reach its current size, but technically growth is possible. It also seems unlikely that this will be the case because I have not experienced any progression in my symptoms. For example, if I was having increased problems with paralysis/numbness on the right side of my body or if I was experiencing aphasia, these would be signs of symptom progression, but this has not happened.

If 'tumor growth' is the case, I will be a sitting duck for criticism from my doctors who feel certain that I am making a serious mistake by not undergoing conventional treatment. I will also look like a fool for sticking with my guns on alternative treatments. I'm OK with that. Learning to be OK while looking like a fool is a rather freeing experience. I suggest you try it.

Outcome Analysis: Doctors become more adamant about undergoing conventional therapy. I either cave under their pressure or they write me off as a religious fanatic, a hippie or a moron.

2. Tumor is the same size: I suppose there is a chance that nothing could have changed. The tumor could look exactly like it did 5 months ago. Due to the slow-growing nature of the tumor, from a short-term perspective, it may not matter whether I have changed my diet or undergone radiation. Whatever action I have taken may not have had enough time to cause the desired changes. Medically speaking, this is probably the most likely outcome.

Outcome Analysis: Stare down. Spaghetti Western Style. (Thinking about growing a bushy mustache for intimidation purposes just in case this happens)

3. Tumor is 'changing': This is where we get into the nebulous 'spontaneous remission' zone.  Technically, the tumor could be changing in some way, but I'll have to trust the Doctor's words about exactly 'how' it is changing. In other words, I won't be able to tell what is going on because I slept through my 'How to read an MRI' class during the one semester I spent as a Pre-Med major in college. The tumor might be breaking up or changing in composition. It could also be increasing or decreasing in intensity or grade, while not actually changing in shape. This will probably be the most difficult decision to cope with since I only have the doctors' words to trust, all while knowing what their desired outcome would be; conventional treatment.

Outcome Analysis: Stick to my guns and keep on praying for wisdom about what to do next.

4. Tumor shrinks: If I can visibly see and receive Doctor confirmation that the new MRI shows the tumor is smaller, I will jump up on the patient examination bed and deliver a freestyle rap consisting of lyrics such as 'drop the system I've been dissin' like the toxins I've been pissin'. I don't have all the rhymes worked out yet, but I have over a month to work on it. (Side-note: Need to teach Amy how to beat-box)

No, but seriously, I'm not going to make a big deal of it. I'm not going to get in anyone's face telling them I was right and they were wrong. After all, they will not be interested in hearing what I have been doing over the past 5 months. Every testimonial I hear including alternative treatment progress usually ends with a doctor who isn't interested in the details. I will simply say that I cannot boast in anything that I have done, but boast in a God who heals, a wife who has stuck by my side, Micah-the-Magician, and a support system consisting of thousands and thousands of people (this is you) who are willing to pray for me and encourage me as I walk down this narrow road.

Outcome Analysis: Doctors scratch their heads at the undeniable results and say "Keep doing what you are doing and we'll see you again in 6 months". I smile and celebrate by giving you the good news from the patient room via Twitter / Facebook Update.

---

As you can all imagine, we are praying for option #4. I am praying for complete healing from God, yet I also understand that above all else, I pray that the outcome will glorify Him, even if it is bad news for me.

So, I have been telling people that we need to be 'praying for shrinkage' which always gets the well-deserved chuckle. So feel free to tell your family and friends that we are 'praying for Shrinkage'.  If we get positive results, I'll purchase the domain www.prayforshrinkage.com and post the MRI scans as memorial to your prayers.

I am also considering a day of voluntary fasting and prayer a few weeks in advance. I'll give you more details as the date approaches.

Love you all.

No Place Like Home

Not too long ago I was able to return to my hometown of Papillion, Nebraska. There were two purposes for the visit. The first was to attend my 10-year high school reunion. The second was to speak at a local church regarding this crazy story that is unfolding in my life right now. It was also a wonderful chance to go back and visit my old friends as well as my parents who still live there. I drove past my old baseball fields, the place where my boy scout troop met and the old southern baptist church I grew up sleeping through.

It's so strange going back there considering the changes each time I return. I can remember the cornfields and stretches of prairie grass or farms that have recently been turned into Super-Walmarts and Panera Breads. Apparently someone told me that U.S. News & Word Report ranked Papillion as the 3rd quickest growing, most popular or most whatever town in America. However, I find that U.S. News and World Report gives rankings for just about anything so I am actually going to hunt down this 'mystery ranking'. One sec...

While you wait, here's an interesting tid-bit of info: Papillion is French for Butterfly.

Got it...

Alright, so I've solved this mystery. Papillion IS indeed ranked by US News and World Report on June 9th, 2009... as a 'Best Place to Retire'! I love US News and World Report's strategy. Call everything "best of something" and forever more people will be linking to the article and talking about how much they love the magazine because the magazine loves them in return. I'm should employ this strategy within my own life.  My favorite blog reader is you!

So quick background to catch you up regarding my home. I was born in Papillion, but months later the Air Force moved my family to Kintbury, England for about 4 years. This is as cool as my story gets when it comes to living in far off places. I just wish I was old enough to remember any of it... Apparently I learned to speak with a British accent and would run around the house yelling 'mummy, mummy' instead of mommy. My parents had me in a strict comb-over with my white hair parted like the red sea. They would dress me up in 3-piece suits and I was addicted to my rubber boots or 'wellies', similar to the boots that just recently returned to style. My mother reminded me that I used to throw a fit if I couldn't wear my wellies to church and of course the only church in town was this massive cathedral.

I can only imagine what was said about the Wenzels when we rolled into church together 6-deep, "Here come those yankees with their wild untamed kid in his rubber boots..." 

My Gracious Partner(s)

I'm in Los Angeles right now working on a project with Francis Chan (via Flannel) that we'll be shooting in October. And I'll be honest, it's good to be back at work doing what I love to do. Below is a quick phone-photo of Santino Stoner (right) and Corey Petrick (Center) as we took some time to hang out at the "Tom's Shoes + Trovata Family Reunion". This was a wonderful experience for me as Santino (Sonny) and Corey have each moved to LA as we begin to expand Dot&Cross. In other words, it's fantastic to see our company growing but at the same time, I miss my boys.

As Blake and John, the respective owners of Tom's Shoes and Trovata, recounted the journey that they've each been through over the past 3 years, it quickly reminded me of the Dot&Cross journey and the family that has been developed along our journey. So, despite the fact that this picture is of poor quality and only a fraction of our company, I wanted to use it as an opportunity to say 'Thank You' to my work family and also share a nugget I've been wrestling with regarding the issue of grace.

So I had this dream...

I had a dream a few weeks ago. It was very short but has stuck with me every day since. To be honest, I don't know why I haven't posted the details yet. I guess I've been replaying it over and over again in my head trying to figure it all out.

I was in an airport and walked to my gate to wait for the plane to depart. There were two guys at the gate also waiting to board the same plane. Oddly enough, they were dressed in karate uniforms or 'Gi'. These are the typical karate outfits with the baggy top and the signature thick belts around the waist. One of them was Caucasian and the other was Asian. Don't know why I need to mention that, other than the need to disclose all details.

Side-note: I know this sounds strange and possibly eerie considering all of our joking about how 'Kung-Fu saved my life' which is where this story began, but at the time I hadn't quite put the meaning of their outfits together with my story. I didn't see any correlation until after I woke up and was talking to Amy about the dream and she pointed it out. I just figured it was a couple of dudes traveling back from a karate tournament. I mean, if I had a Kung-Fu outfit I'd totally wear it on planes. Nobody would mess with you in that awkward moment when someone goes to claim the armrest.

So these two guys approached me and kindly, yet bluntly, told me they believed in the power of healing and asked if they could pray for me. Knowing full-well that you do whatever martial art experts tell you to do, I quickly agreed. Each of them put one hand on my shoulder and one hand on my back.

Feeling somewhat silly to interrupt these kind gentlemen, I stopped them and said, "Um, just so you know... if you are going to pray for my healing, you should know that I have a brain tumor. Maybe you could pray specifically for that."

They removed their hands from my shoulders and back, and put their hands on my head and neck. They began praying silently and I could feel a great peace come over my body. It was a very comforting feeling.

There were no words spoken after this moment.

The two guys took their hands off my head and neck and looked at each other as though they had both encountered the same experience, or some type of mutual understanding. Then they both looked at me.

When they looked at me I understood 2 things:

1. I understood they both knew what was going to happen to me. They didn't hint that I would be healed or that I would die, but it was certain they knew the final outcome of this brain tumor.
2. I understood that I could not ask them the outcome. Even if I did ask, they were not going to tell me.

Then I woke up.

The Operation 55 Zebra Diet (All Rights Reserved)

Sitting at the expert conference in San Francisco, about two days before my seizure, I met a gentlemen named Gary, who is an expert in how water benefits your health. Gary sells ionized or alkaline water machines. The general principle behind alkaline water machines is to raise the pH of the water we drink from 7.0 to 9.5.  So, the question is, why should we drink alkaline water over regular water? It's the same question that applies to what we eat because everything we consume is either alkaline or acidic. So what is the difference between the two?

Diseases cannot exist in alkaline environments and acidic environments are a breeding ground for illness. Increase the alkaline level of your pH and get rid of disease. It's (apparently) science.

If your body is made of 75% water, than 75% of your body is affected by this pH change. Some call this complete snake-oil and some call it a miracle. But to be honest, it didn't really matter to me.  At that point I was more interested in Gary's outrageous New York accent, not to mention I was a completely healthy young chap... for about 48 more hours. (Side-note: In addition, Gary kept buying me great glasses of pinot noir so he had my full attention.)

The main reason I like to tell the story about Gary is that he discovered alkaline water when his wife had Grade IV cancer. She drank the water, she got better and her cancer went into remission.  The doctors were all very pleased to see this until Gary mentioned his wife had stopped taking chemo as she was dying more and more each day. So she started chugging alkaline water as a last resort. He told me, in his thick NY accent, that he was embarrassed to tell the doctors that she stopped chemo and the only treatment that seemed to be working was drinking this water. Embarrassed? Rightly so! When he told them this, they laughed at him. (P.S. - She's still alive and surpassed her 'due date' which doctors have attributed to 'spontaneous remission'.)

Gary was also cured of his variety of diseases that I can't remember, but the funny thing about him is that New Yorkers don't always get the label of being 'gullible'. But he was so sold on this water, he started chugging 9.5 pH water daily. According to him, it took him a full year before he gathered the courage to start telling his friends that the water did the trick! All it took was raising the pH of his body to create an alkaline environment where disease can no longer exist. I asked about the results from alkaline food which he said was also very important but very difficult to pull off. Yet he thought the best combination was to create an alkaline environment in our bodies through both food and water.

Yes, the more alkaline your body is, the less disease can exist in your body. There are two natural ways to make your body alkaline; food and water. Considering that your body gets is main nutrition through food, it's very important that if I plan on beating cancer, I must move to an extremely heavy alkaline diet. I've considered buying a water ionizer but haven't done it yet. I want to try to accomplish this with food first. Not to mention, ionizers are expensive and you can use other elements to alkalize your water such as lemons. Yes, surprisingly, lemons are extremely alkaline, not acidic.

So with all that in mind, I am posting what my diet actually consists of these days. I call it 'The Operation 55 Zebra Diet'. Just be warned, my diet doesn't really make you feel great about yourself. It doesn't help you feel full, make your life more convenient, or save you money. It basically sucks. It takes tons of time, more money and basically strips away all of your joy and comfort previously found in food until you don't care about eating anymore...

Sounds great, doesn't it?! Let's get to it!

How to Anger Your Doctors...

When the Doctors told me the only way to attack this tumor was through radiation and chemotherapy, I knew what they were going to say next. They were going to give me a million diet restrictions... No wine, No Thai Food, No Pasta, etc... My life was already going to be miserable because I had cancer, but now I couldn't even console myself with good food and good wine!

I was moments from tearing my clothes and finding a dictionary to look up what 'gnashing of teeth' actually meant, and then doing that. Then I would lift my fists to the sky shaking them at God while shouting something significant along the lines of: "You can give me cancer but you can't take away my Pad Thai!"

But as I was taking off my t-shirt and trying to find the weakest point to begin tearing, I was interrupted.

The doctor said, "Just keep eating what you've been eating. No Diet restrictions. Then we'll..."

I interrupted, "Excuse me? Are you sure? You are giving me NO diet restrictions?"

The doctor responded happily as though he'd made my day, "Nope! None, keep eating what you've been eating. There is NO medical evidence that diet has anything to do with improving your cancer diagnosis". 

You've got to be kidding me.

Didn't see that one coming...

When I was in college, I went with some friends to see Westside Story in Dayton, Ohio. Just into the second act, we began hearing strange noises coming from below our mezzanine seats. A man was having a heart attack. I felt so helpless. Of course theater attendants and a doctor sitting nearby attended to him, but I remember wanting to help so badly but knowing I could do nothing. I didn't know it until after the show that he suffered a heart attack, but in that moment I knew something was wrong. You could hear the muffled noises of pain and the scurrying feet and see it in the faces of the audience looking back in terror.

The actors on the stage, in true form, never broke character and never stopped their lines.

Today, I was sitting at home working, responding to some emails and enjoying a nice day. My sister, Heather is back in town helping me make some juices and catching me up on her new apartment here in Grand Rapids. I was feeling great and thinking about when I could sneak into the office and start getting some more work done. Just looking for opportunities to slide back into everyday life.

A few moments ago a friend of mine passed along the actual conference video from Sunday June 6th, 2009, when Operation 55 Zebra started. Just as the last session of the week was beginning, the speaker was chatting away and then it's obvious that something has gone wrong. You can see it in his face. In a room of 400 people, you can see individuals jumping up from their seats and turning to look at the back of the room where I was seated.

Then in muffled voices you hear people yelling, 'Is there a doctor? - 'Give him space' - 'Open his airway'. That same awkward and panicky feeling somehow even comes through the video, just as I had felt in the mezzanine watching Westside Story. But this time, the panic is about me. I am watching, again from far away, knowing that something has gone terribly wrong. I am having a grand-mal seizure.

Apparently it took about 20 minutes to stabilize me and remove me from the room on a stretcher. The speaker handled it very well. He had the audience pray for me and send good energy towards me. He did a very nice job of handling the situation and I thanked him for his actions.

But it made me sick to go back there. It was an out of body experience watching people rush to attend your unconscious body.

On a beautiful day like today, thinking about heading back into the office to start getting more work done, thinking that maybe if I don't think about the tumor it might mean it isn't there. On a day when I can almost convince myself that I'm just like everyone else... I am reminded once again that God has set me apart with this tumor.

The next thing I remember is waking up in the ambulance. I didn't know it at the time, but when I woke up, from that point nothing would ever be the same. I suppose it was like a second baptism. I can't go back to how things were and if given a choice, I wouldn't choose to go back. I don't quite know what happens next but I would not choose any different path.

"I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."

-Philipians 3:12-14

Heading to Omaha for Reunion and Speaking!

Hello,

Couple of things going on. After finishing a few days in Kentucky working on scripts for our next film series, I am heading to Omaha this weekend for three reasons:

1. An awkward 10 year High School reunion! Still wondering how to answer the question, "What have you been up to recently?"
2. I will be sharing the crazy story of "Operation 55 Zebra" at Shadow Lake Community Church in my hometown of Papillion, Nebraska (suburb of Omaha). I will be apart of the 5:30pm service on Saturday evening and 2 Sunday morning services at 9:00 & 10:45. Feel free to come on over!
3. This Sunday from 1-5 pm, my family is having an 'open house' to reconnect with my friends who I haven't seen for a very long time. If you want to hang out, please come on over to my parent's house. The address is 903 Michael Dr. Papilion, NE 49503.  We'll have food and drinks for everyone. (FYI - all food/drinks will probably be healthy so unless you love vegetables you may want to eat before you show up). And seriously, even if I don't know you, come on over. It would be great to meet you!

I hope you all have a great weekend and if you are in Omaha, I hope to see you soon!

Much Love.