Scott Brodie (53 years) Richard “Scott” Brodie peacefully passed into eternity Nov 5th, 2012. Scott died of a respiratory arrest as a result of his 16-year battle with ALS disease. Born Feb 19th, 1959 in Iron Mountain, MI, the son of John and Mary Ellen Brodie, Scott was raised in Wisconsinand traveled to the Tacoma area in 1983, where he met his wife Glennis. The couple spent 28 years of married life together and were residents of Puyallup, WA. He is survived by his four children, Justin, Jessica, Ashley, and Kylee, and two grandchildren, Korbyn and Brodie. Memorial services will be held Saturday, Nov 17th, 10:00 am, at PuyallupFoursquareChurch, 601 9th Avenue SE, Puyallup, WA 98372.

To honor Scott’s love for the Word of God, donations may be made to the Scott Brodie “Hope Scholarship” at Tacoma Bible College, 106 S 28th St., Tacoma WA 98402, or online:   www.tacomabiblecollege.org.  Published in News Tribune (Tacoma) on November 11, 2012

By Chuck Goldberg

“… Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:16, NIV).

Saddled with Lou Gehrig’s disease, Scott Brodie is far removed from his days playing basketball, football, and softball. Long gone are health-club racquetball, working out, and coaching the church men’s and women’s softball teams.

Today, he cannot fend for himself at all; he is incapable of independently eating, dressing, or bathing. Nor can he use his arms, but he can type with his toes and communicate a form of sign language with his feet. Even blinking is difficult, requiring the help of his wife, Glennis, who also serves as interpreter, since his voice is reduced to sounds unintelligible to anyone else.

Such are the ravages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which came to prominence when it killed New York Yankees great Lou Gehrig in 1941, a tragedy immortalized in the 1942 Gary Cooper movie, The Pride of the Yankees. Occurring in two of every 100,000 people, ALS is a degenerative disease that affects the brain’s ability to initiate and control muscle movement. No longer able to receive nourishment, muscles atrophy, eventually leading to death, according to the ALS Association. There is no cure.

Though Brodie received the standard life expectancy of two to five years, he is now in his 16^th year with ALS. That puts him among about 10 percent who survive more than 10 years. Just 5 percent make it to year 20.

Yet, as Brodie helplessly watches his body waste away, he is beholding another phenomenon: His increasing reliance upon God and His Word has enlivened his spirit, taking him to greater spiritual heights.

“I’m a guy whose voice cannot be heard, whose body is supported by a brace, having no ability to take care of myself, living in a world that champions and celebrates strength, perfection, and achievement,” he says. “Daily, the Holy Spirit reminds me that through my weakness God’s strength is perfected and my imperfections have the ability to put His glory and His grace on display.”

Born in Iron Mountain, Michigan, and raised in several Wisconsin towns, Brodie attended the University of Wisconsin and moved to San Diego in 1982, later working in a gym health bar selling organic food products. In 1983, he moved to Tacoma, Washington, to start a new health bar in a gym, and it was there that he met Glennis. Both physically active, they frequently exercised together and fell in love, marrying in 1984.

Leaving the health bar business, Brodie worked a variety of jobs until 1985, when he began learning mobile vinyl repair and auto pinstriping. He then got the idea to launch his own mobile upholstery company specializing in health clubs and restaurants. Brodie Upholstery began in 1986 and is still going today, based in Puyallup, Washington, with son Justin running field operations and Glennis managing the office.

Brodie obtained a bachelor’s degree in theological studies in 1997 from Maryland Bible College & Seminary in Baltimore, which was affiliated with Greater Grace World Outreach. He taught Biblical studies in Tacoma at Greater Grace Bible College, where Glennis earned her degree in Biblical studies in 2003. Both remained active in ministry with Greater Grace, now known as Living Grace Ministries.

They attended Greater Grace Church in Tacoma from 1988 to 2008, until Brodie’s health made it impossible to attend, so they now listen to daily messages online and host Bible studies in their home and an occasional speaker.

With an active family of four children, full church involvement, and a growing business, life was good for the Brodies. Then in late 1995, Scott noticed twitching in his right index finger. Eventually, he became unable to press hard enough when writing invoices at work to create duplicates. He detected a loss of strength in his right arm, reducing his velocity when throwing a softball or football. Also, his aim when shooting baskets was off.

Figuring he needed more strength training, he increased his exercise at the gym. Instead, he slowly worsened. The problem expanded to his left hand and left arm, then neck to chest.

Brodie learned from his doctor it could be anything from a pinched nerve to ALS. Because his condition continued deteriorating, Brodie thought the worst, leading him to research ALS. That fall, a neurologist confirmed his fears after just two tests and a physical exam. Brodie, now 53, was 37 at the time.

He refused to believe the neurologist, who delivered the diagnosis with clinical callousness, he says, simply stating the hard facts about ALS, offering no hope. When Brodie said God could heal him, the doctor accused him of “living in denial.” Yet, the diagnosis devastated him, leaving him and Glennis crying and praying together in the parking lot.

“As we left the office, a dark cloud hovered over our heads,” Brodie says. “I could envision Satan standing above me as I clung to the sides of a dark pit. He was gleefully laughing at me in my despair, saying in a mocking tone, ‘Where is your God now, Mr. Faith?’”

They decided to meet with their pastor, who wept with them and had the congregation intercede that night and countless times since. He gave them a verse, Romans 4:18, which has become Brodie’s lifeline: “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed.”

“I’ve held onto that one truth since that day,” he says. “When questions came, I just kept holding onto hope. God has encouraged me to never lose my hope, to never lose faith in Him. He promises us ‘those that wait upon the Lord shall mount up with wings as eagles.’”

Several other neurologists confirmed ALS, he says, all with the same clinical coldness, leaving him without hope that any doctor could help. So he turned to faith messages and God’s Word to remain encouraged. Satan continued waging an intense battle in his mind, with lingering projections of death and depression.

The biggest hope-builder of all occurred in March 1998 during a visit to Arizona, when Jesus appeared to Brodie one night in either a vision or dream. He told Brodie his healing had already begun and asked three separate times where he would like to serve Him, and he answered Phoenix. Greatly encouraged, Brodie then sought alternative treatments for the next seven years in the United States, Canada, and during three trips to Mexico, spending thousands of dollars on a wide variety of therapies. After all, he had God’s promise he would be serving Him in Phoenix.

While he and Glennis had faith and hope, at the same time they felt they couldn’t simply sit at home and do nothing. Perhaps God’s answer would come through people, they thought, so they had to seek alternative treatments since conventional medicine offered no hope. Each alternative built hope, but each failure became a hard hit. Yet they remained encouraged and hopeful, believing God for healing. Instead, Brodie’s condition worsened.

He became so weak by 2005, he had difficulty breathing, talking, and could barely eat without choking. Realizing he needed intervention to save his life, he followed Glennis’ urging and got a feeding tube, bi-pap machine to help get air into his lungs, a custom neck brace, and a wheelchair.

The following year, the healing Brodie began to see was spiritual, not physical, as God revealed that He could never fulfill His promise of physical healing if Brodie continued relying upon his human effort to seek a cure. Instead, all he had to do was choose to live and God would take care of the rest, healing him on this earth.

“I had to learn that trust was the avenue God would use to reveal His love for me,” he says. “Healing has never been an issue with God; He has assured me numerous times that my healing has already begun and will physically manifest in His time, not mine, where He will get all the glory. I no longer need to be occupied with healing; I need to be occupied with my Savior. The daily struggles remain, but as I grow in my love toward Christ, I rejoice that He allows me to go through them with Him.”

And more trials he would surely endure, including a tracheostomy in April 2009 so he could use a ventilator, and a severe lung infection in June that led to choking because of an obstruction. Glennis had to clash with medical authorities in the emergency room to obtain the necessary antibiotics for her husband.

Today, Brodie continues to use a ventilator, back brace, and wheelchair, though he can do some walking. Unable to eat or drink, he receives puréed food and vitamins through a feeding tube. Every couple hours he needs help to blink because his eyes are dry and unable to shut completely. His lungs function at just 20 percent capacity, so a lung infection becomes critical since he has such low breathing capability.

The Brodies’ children are Justin, 29; Jessica, 27; Ashley, 24; and Kylee, 21. Jessica has given them two grandchildren: Korbyn, born December 2008, and Brodie, born July 2011. Ashley and Kylee still live at home in Puyallup and help with care, running errands, and maintaining the house. Jessica comes over four days a week to help with care and work in the family business. One of Brodie’s brothers, Boo, 50, lives in Tacoma and also helps Justin in the business. Brodie has two other caregivers to help Glennis with household chores.

Glennis says that although the kids have lived with the uncertainty of their father’s condition, they have not allowed it to weigh them down and have pursued their futures with an enhanced view of the world, more alert to others with limitations.

“I’m really, really very proud of them, and I’m proud of Scott for every day that he commits his heart and he commits his day,” she says. “Because he doesn’t quit, I don’t quit.”

Satan hasn’t quit either, however, telling Scott he’s a burden, without dignity, and dependent on everyone. He tells him he will never receive his promise, that he’s done enough, and has even said, “God told me to tell you it’s your time—time to die.”

Some friends have departed because they either did not know how to talk to Brodie or had too much difficulty communicating and relating. Yet the Brodies remain undeterred in their focus upon God, who encourages them to keep pressing on. “None of this seems to bother us anymore,” Glennis says. “We just have to know we are in the will of God, pursuing Him wholeheartedly. We’re hanging onto the God of all hope.”

As Brodie continues to wait for deliverance from an impossible situation in the natural, he draws upon a host of relevant Bible passages, as well as the lives of Abraham, Daniel, Joseph, Nehemiah, and Hezekiah, who all faced waiting and adversity before receiving their answers. The Brodies know that God is accomplishing something special as they wait.

Video of Scott’s daughter Ashley Brodie lovingly taking care of her father

“God has His timetable,” Glennis says. “He’s making all things beautiful in His time, and He’s refining us in this process. We’re drawing nearer to Him. He uses even our waiting to help us develop our relationship with Him.”

Brodie says he is tempted to view his weakness as a liability that should be removed but realizes it may be his greatest asset because God is using it both to refine him and increase his dependence upon Him.

“It’s not the weakness we may have that is significant; it is what it can potentially produce in our soul that is of value,” he says. “I like to consider my back brace as God’s golden treasure, my feeding tube as God’s silver cup, and my tracheostomy as His diamond. They each represent a time of difficulty, a season of seeking and God’s provision. Each scar, whether visible or not, can become an ornament of His grace.”

For more on Scott Brodie’s journey of faith, check his blog at www.deathvalleypromises.org.

Chuck Goldberg has a degree in journalism and a Master of Divinity in Christian education. A former newspaper reporter and magazine managing editor, he is now an ordained minister and freelance writer-editor. He and his wife Dolly have three children and live in Layton, Utah.

A conversation with Scott & Glennis Brodie about Scott’s Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis, how he is living with it, living longer than the prognosis, life and everything in between …

As the disease tries to wear Scott down, he tries to stand tall, toe-to-toe, ika ese si ika ese, mano-a- mano, pound-for-pound to it.  In doing this, he spoke again through an interpretation from Glennis, “Romans 4:18 [Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed …]” Glennis would add that this has been their motivational verse in the sense that, “God is good and you can hope. No one can take that away from you. You can hope till the end. When you don’t know if you have the faith, you don’t know you have the means, you can say, I can always believe for something more and be hopeful. Especially, [those] early years, hope was just a foundation for us.”

Ashley talks about living a lifestyle of Faith with her dad, Scott Brodie.

December 30, 2011

A conversation with Scott & Glennis Brodie about Scott’s Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis, how he is living with it, living longer than the prognosis, life and everything in between …

Every year we take a trip or two out of the studio to meet our guests and this time we went to the home of Scott & Glennis in Puyallup, WA.  As we started the interview I pitched to them, “What attracted you, Scott to Glennis and vice-versa?” “We initially met in the health club in 1983. I was a fitness instructor there and Scott was selling vitamins and protein powders, working behind the juice bar.  He was very handsome, very fit and very tanned. I was very attracted to him,” his wife, Glennis, said.  Now it was Scott’s turn to respond but because of this disease and “the volume of breath that he’s speaking with”, talking has been very difficult.  When he talks, he rocks forward with each breath trying to get the words out and also writes “with his foot” for clarification.  To answer this question Scott said, “[You are] beautiful.” Like a very active family, the couple enjoyed “running and lifting weights [and even] Scott helped coach [her] on a fast pitch softball team with [their] church.” Glennis began laughing and we all joined when she added, “I guess it wasn’t fast pitch, it was slow pitch!” I could see Scott smiling, too. 

At this point in their lives, they were in “full swing of raising their kids, [being] self employed, very active members of [their] church, active with kids in sports, etc.” So, everything was going well according to plans until 1997 during Christmas time when they noticed that “Scott was having trouble pressing with a pen or pencil when he would write an invoice for a repair in [their] business.” The prognosis wasn’t what they were expecting to hear but other visits to neurologists also confirmed he had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

At the age of 37, he was “given 2-5 years” to live.  As Glennis was still talking, Scott interrupted and said, “[I] was so frustrated with this doctor who sat on the other side of his desk, being very professional but there was no care or seeming compassion to deliver this news to us. It was hard news to receive. [I told him], well, God can heal me.” Then, the doctor noticeably turned his shoulder to talk to Glennis “and just wrote him off for being in denial.”

This changed the “outlook of what was to come” for them. I asked him, “What were the fears that began to develop?” He said, “It was a battle in my mind” and Glennis chimed in to say, “Because the projection of death just says, ‘you are not going to win. It’s going to take you. You are going to go in this slow demise. So, the battle is always in the mind. There is a physical battle but more so, it’s so much to do with you not entering into despair, or depression.  He does amazingly have the joy of the Lord and his spirit is strong but he has to go to God for that.”

As the disease tries to wear Scott down, he tries to stand tall, toe-to-toe, ika ese si ika ese, mano-a- mano, pound-for-pound to it.  In doing this, he spoke again through an interpretation from Glennis, “Romans 4:18 [Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed …]” Glennis would add that this has been their motivational verse in the sense that, “God is good and you can hope. No one can take that away from you. You can hope till the end. When you don’t know if you have the faith, you don’t know you have the means, you can say, I can always believe for something more and be hopeful. Especially, [those] early years, hope was just a foundation for us.”

Scott began blogging about his experiences on deathvalleypromises.org  and among these were visions and dreams he had about healing, many people who believed in healing for him, and also “that he would serve God in Phoenix.” The family has been visiting the Phoenix area every year since 1999 because of this vision.  I asked them, “As a person of faith, is your approach different in tackling this disease?” Before I completed the question, Scott already finished the answer (smile). That’s, “Yes, I think it makes all the difference.” Glennis added, “We trust that God is good. So, there is no blame and there is no bitterness. We believe He allows things into our lives so that we can draw near to Him and we can go for directions, for guidance. We can bring our cares to him, and He cares for us. Had this not happened, our family would be very different. We are so very dependent on each other now.”

These two make a great team. Glennis would read whatever Scott wrote with his foot or what he said softly.  According to Glennis, there are good days and bad days just like every other family but it’s very comforting for us to see the attitude that the Brodie family demonstrates in living with this disease. And seeing Scott’s can-do attitude firsthand, I was prompted to ask him, “How would you encourage someone diagnosed with ALS to not be discouraged?” He said, “Just to be in the Word of God, to draw near to God in His Word and to believe God over what you hear.” Scott has outlived the 2-5 year window that was given to him and just passed the 14 year mark this month.

When I asked Glennis how she understands what he’s saying, she responded with a smile, “I don’t always get it right. He thinks I adlib sometimes.  We have been married 27 years and I know him very well. We have fellowshipped together. We hear the same messages together. I share books I am reading with him. I know him well. I don’t get it right all the time, but he’ll always spell with his feet if I need more clarification.”

We talked about what kept their marriage intact for all these years, daily routines, impact of this disease on his spiritual journey, etc. As we were rounding up the interview, we decided to follow Scott into his office.  Glennis helped him up and slowly we all walked forward. As we were about to enter his office, we didn’t have to look too far to see a sign above his door that read, “Dad’s Office, OPEN FOR ADVICE” and inside a white circle by it was “24/7”. I am not done yet, fans! He sat down, and wanted to let us know that he is a big fan of our show, too. He used his foot to work the magic to navigate to our fan page on Facebook.  I was astonished! In saying good bye to him, I sat down on the floor, lifted my right foot up to his right foot, did a high five and we parted. It’s our prayer and hope that his healing will come soon!

 

 

http://www.livingjoyfullyfree.com/audio-items/scott-and-glennis-brodie/

Visit Lisa at: livingjoyfullyfree.blogspot.com

Feel like you can’t get a break in life? Tired of life’s constant struggles? Does it seem like circumstances are too tough – too insurmountable? Scott Brodie has a word of encouragement for you today.

This post is part of a series on assisted suicide – but don’t let that keep you from perusing. No matter the topic, these videotaped excerpts from the Brodie home will bless and encourage you. They encouraged me greatly!

Scott and his wife Glennis shared their inspiring story in Walking Through the Valley: The Scott Brodie Story. (Click here to watch.) Every time I catch a glimpse behind the scenes of Scott’s journey with ALS, I am instantly, deeply, eternally changed. My perspective is transformed. If you are walking through hardship great or small, come go with me to the Brodie home and be encouraged…

The Scene

From behind the camera comes a soothing, upbeat voice. If you were listening to the audio alone, you might think she doesn’t have a care in the world. One glimpse through the lens, however, reveals an entirely different picture.

Sitting in a chair, her husband Scott cannot move his arms or hands. Underneath his shirt is a back brace that holds his head up. It extends from his lower back to the crown of his head. Although he can’t turn his head in the brace, thankfully it allows him to sit upright, walk and move around.

Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), has also affected Scott’s speech. Glennis has become accustomed to ‘interpreting’ over the years. (When I interviewed Scott and Glennis on camera in 2006, Glennis anticipated having to interpret Scott’s words – so only she was miked for sound. Surprisingly, Scott spoke the entire time and could be clearly understood.)

The tracheostomy Scott had last year reduced his ability to speak even more. At night, when Scott is on the ventilator, he cannot speak at all because the cuff is inflated. Glennis interprets as he spells letters with his foot. She’s very adept at interpreting. Sometimes Scott only has to sign a few letters and Glennis figures out the whole word…maybe even the entire phrase. Of course, it helps to have been married for twenty-five years. I suppose after all that time you could almost read your spouse’s mind.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a brief segment of Larry King’s interview with Jack Kevorkian. I was appalled. Absolutely sickened. God immediately gave me the idea of calling Scott Brodie to ask him to watch the next airing of the Kevorkian interview and share his thoughts with us.

I had forgotten, until I watched the next airing myself, that Thomas Youk – the man for whose murder Kevorkian was sentenced to prison – had ALS, like Scott Brodie. (Perhaps I was too sick when the conviction occurred to remember this key fact.) In typical fashion, God was working in the details. He knew Scott’s input on this topic would be invaluable.

Scott types with his toes and has an incredible blog. He maneuvers the mouse with his feet and accomplishes a great deal on the computer and the internet. I look forward to a true ‘guest post’ from Scott in the future – one without my words – but this week, in order to post a prompt response to a vital issue, this guest post became a collaborative effort between Scott, Glennis and me.

Below is video of Scott’s post – as well as a dialogue transcript that includes Glennis’ interpretations and elaborations. I’m glad she weighed in! Assisted suicide has become an appealing idea to caretakers as well.

A documentary about Kevorkian, the assisted-suicide advocate, began airing this week on HBO. A companion piece to the HBO movie “You Don’t Know Jack,” starring Al Pacino and Susan Sarandon, the documentary sparked a pro-killing media blitz across the nation. One would hardly recognize it as such, though, for killing is beautified – packaged as mercy at its best. The movie, documentary, interviews and press coverage have produced an innocent, enticing image of murder and suicide.

Who stands to be influenced? Strictly patients with a terminal illness? No. When the sanctity of life erodes, all life is cheapened. One sector of society gains authority to determine whether others’ lives are valuable enough to exist. Ultimately, it affects everyone – even you and me.

To whom does the idea of euthanasia / assisted suicide appeal? Well, to name a few groups:

• To busy people who don’t want to care for aging parents.
• To insurance and state healthcare agencies who prefer to fund assisted suicide rather than costly life-extending treatment.
• To someone who has a progressive disease, or is depressed, or is struggling financially or in chronic pain.
• Even to someone who is in despair over the future loss of a spouse, as in the case of Sir Edward Downes,

Once we slide further down this slope, the impact upon our lives and freedoms will be devastating.

If ever there was a time we needed to hear from Scott Brodie, it is now. As I watched the second airing of Larry King’s interview with Kevorkian, six questions came to mind. I emailed them to Scott right away, expecting a typed response. The video response He and Glennis chose, however, is much more illuminating.

If you are too overwhelmed by a season of suffering to be concerned with broader issues at stake, it is understandable. Scott’s messages below will be just the encouragement and truth you need today. (See also Walking Through the Valley: The Scott Brodie Story.)

Question #1

What has been the progression of your illness?

 

Glennis: “Scott was diagnosed with ALS in the Fall of 1997.” [Scott was given just two to five years to live – thirteen years ago!] “The symptoms began in his right hand, then traveled up his right arm to the left arm and to his neck. It has affected his voice, his ability to talk, as well. He is still walking.”

“Scott had to have a feeding tube placed in 2005, five years ago. He is on a liquid diet of canned things or things we can puree and concoct.

“This back brace was about that same year – 2005. It may have been completed in 2006. But Scott walks with this back brace, which goes all the way down to his mid-back. It’s underneath his shirt. It keeps his head supported. That way he is able to maintain his balance. It gets a little hot. He can’t really turn his head side to side, but he can move.

“April 1, 2009 he had tracheostomy surgery. That was a huge, prayerful step in the months and year prior actually. But now a year has passed and he is doing really well. He has had to fight a reoccurring lung infection. So that has been the biggest challenge, but we seem to have a God-given way to manage that right now. We praise God for that.

“Scott has no use of hands, which limits him from many things – there are many things he cannot do. No driving, of course. He’s at his computer most of the day, but he types with his toes and operates the mouse with his foot. Most everything has to be done with his foot.

“Sometimes he will spell the letters out if he is on his ventilator (which is over there on that side of the room; It’s a laptop vent). At night and in the morning when he’s over there, he’s not speaking because the cuff is inflated. He can’t speak when that’s up. So he will spell letters with his feet and then I get to interpret…and that’s a lot of fun for me,” she says laughing.

[Natalie: Scott has difficulty swallowing…even saliva. He went through the whole one-hour interview in 2006 without complications from swallowing or expelling saliva. You may have noticed that in the interview footage there are paper napkins folded between the cushions of the couch, positioned by Glennis for quick access. The napkins were there to use in place of swallowing. Scott never once needed them. Amazing! Scott hasn’t been able to easily swallow saliva for some time…not without creating a tendency to choke. Even when he could technically swallow food – just for a little taste – after the feeding tube, small bites of food would create too much mucous. He would have to be suctioned. Years ago, when I was in his home, it was a rarity for him to taste a bite of food, though he could technically swallow.]

Question #2

What symptoms do you have that others may consider grounds for taking their life if they had same symptoms:

Glennis: “The thing about Lou Gehrig’s – it has been a progressive loss. It never levels off. Apart from God’s Divine intervention and healing, that’s the course it would take. It continues to rob the body, so that’s what it’s done over the years. Scott, what do you think have been the biggest hurdles along the way?”

Scott: “Probably the feeding tube and the trach.”

Glennis: “Those were definitely the biggest. The feeding tube because some people think its artificial nutrition. But it’s really just another access to the stomach. Scott doesn’t have the pleasure of eating and the social aspect of eating – although Scott likes to gather with people when they are here and participate – but he has to be an observer and eat from his ‘sack lunch.’

“It was hurdle for Scott to use the wheelchair, even though he wasn’t dependent on it. This was before the feeding tube, when He had lost so much weight. He was 120 pounds at six feet tall. He didn’t have energy or endurance to walk far. So that was a big, big hurdle.

“It was a big hurdle when Scott could no longer work or drive—”

Scott: “Talking,” Scott adds.

Glennis: “That has been the greatest loss – talking. He has gone months without talking. When his cuff is inflated in his trach, within his trachea, he’s not able to push air over the larynx. So there is no use of the voice box. When he is talking, his enunciation is a little hard to understand – “

Scott: “Even for me,” Scott adds.

Glennis: “When Scott sees himself recorded, he doesn’t know what the guy is talking about,” Glennis laughs.

 

“So yes, there have been a lot of things we’ve had to bring before God and get his grace to know how to continue on, right?

 

Scott: “Yes. Amen”

 

Question #3

Have the losses caused you to feel that your life has lost meaning?

 

 

Scott: “They did. But God overcame them through His Word.”

Glennis: “He ministered His Word to you personally and intimately and gave you the-”

Scott: “–hope”

Glennis: “–loved you and gave you the hope to continue on.

Scott: “God does not see as man sees. God sees the heart.

Glennis: “God sees the heart. He’s not impressed by physical stature.”

Scott: “Or your vast knowledge. He sees the heart.”

Glennis: “When you got your diagnosis, I remember, you said–have said–that you weren’t ready. Of course, you were thirty-seven. You weren’t ready to consider dying, but you also didn’t feel prepared to meet your Maker, although you were a believer and gave your life to Christ when you were eighteen. But here you were at thirty-seven and you said, ‘I’m not done.’ You knew God had more. That was really a driving force also – because you didn’t feel that you had accomplished everything that He’d given you to do.”

Scott: “He has a race for me to run. It was not complete yet. He said, ‘Go back to your race and only look to me – because I am the author and finisher of your race. Do not look at your body. Look to me.’”

Glennis: “Because when you used to look in the mirror and you would look at the losses, that was really devastating.”

Scott: “True.”

Glennis: “Yes. It really impacted you. Then you used to always say, ‘I’m not not that man in the mirror’ – because you were referring to the fact that God sees who you are in the heart, not the reflection that is illuminated through the mirror and what other people see.”

Question #4:

Do you feel that your life has meaning? Please explain.

 

 

Glennis: “Scott continues to have an impact on our family, our friends and those he meets. Frankly, people, even strangers – he draws a lot of attention. He is part of an immediate family, an extended family and he is well loved. Any person has these ties to family. And it means a lot to the people that are close to an individual that has suffering, it means a lot–”

Scott: “But I really don’t suffer.”

 

Glennis: “You don’t feel that you suffer? Well, most people would call it suffering because you have limitations and you haven’t been able to get – you’re not what’s considered normal, I guess.

“Scott’s life has tried all of us actually, because we have gone through different seasons of having to trust God ourselves – for our security, for our capacity, for the fear that might want to grip us at times, especially at times when things have gotten very scary with his health. We don’t know one day to the next what will happen, but we’ve watched God’s faithfulness. We’ve learned and watched how God has cared and provided and it’s helped us to draw close in our walk with God – to know how much he loves each one of his creation. He’s made them unique and wonderful. Scott is able to minister through his life. As testament, he is able to shine the love of God through himself to others, and he does that with our family. He does that with our friends and also to people that we just meet.

“The contributions Scott makes are countless – just as any individual who is impacting people. But I would say that our children have only benefited because they now have compassion. They serve, they look for people that need help. They are more keen to notice the needs of others. In our family life there is a lot of cooperation because we’re not just the adult figures telling our children what to do. We have asked for their help. They are participants and together this family operates, we need each other. So there’s been an amazing effort from everyone.”

Additional insight from Walking Through the Valley: The Scott Brodie Story

In the 2006 interview, Scott shared about a time that he was tired of fighting and wanted to go to Heaven. God answered him – and in that answer God shows us what value our lives have, no matter our abilities.

In this segment, Scott and Glennis both mentioned “identifying in Christ.” What does that mean? They answer in this raw, unedited excerpt from the interview. (Excerpt not included in Walking Through the Valley.)

[Natalie: Scott’s life has value beyond what even he and his family are aware. I know for myself personally, Scott’s faith and perseverance – and frankly his positive attitude – have set an incredible example. His and Glennis’ life-examples inspire and challenge me each day. Just editing the video and transcript of this interview taught and ministered to me and centered my priorities right where they need to be – on eternal things. Anxiety, worry and preoccupations all vanished in light of eternity. Their impact is immeasurable!]

Question #5:

If the possibility of Divine healing on earth were taken out of the equation, would you consider assisted suicide? Why not? Would you have considered it in the past? Why not?

 

Scott: “No – because only God knows the time and I do not want to take that away from Him.

“He just asked me last year [a few weeks before Glennis called 911 and Scott was rushed to ER because of respiratory failure] if I did not get healing, would I still follow Him. I said, ‘Yes, Lord. Live or die, I am Yours.’ So God holds the keys to life and death. Not me. It’s only the grace of God any of us are alive today.”

Glennis: “Last year, Scott did consider the reality that he might [be on his way to heaven]—there was a different time last year before and after his trachestomy surgery, when he thought ‘maybe I’m not going to get my healing’ and thinking ‘I’m going to be going to heaven soon.’ And he was okay with that. There was no fear. He thought, ‘I’ll be with Jesus. No problem. I don’t have to hold onto this.’ Scott really has over and over again laid his life at Jesus’ feet. I think in the early years he really clung to God’s promise of healing and it has kept him very fervent for healing and to be back to the way he was. But now he wants to glorify God however God sees fit.

“Scott decided last year – I remember his prayer – that he had to abide under the shadow of God’s wing and just trust Him that His way is perfect. We had a tough year last year. A lot of weighty things … we thought we had already reviewed them, but I guess you have to come back and reaffirm.”

 

Scott: “You always have to surrender your life to God because he knows the best plan for your life.”

Glennis: Yes, because doubt comes in and you think, ‘Did we actually [hear correctly]?—God surely you didn’t mean this.’ So I guess we do examine, ‘Okay, this is a new place God. I didn’t bargain for this. I only thought so far into my future, but not this far.’ So we have to keep going back for His grace, for Him to enlarge us for the next step.

Question #6

If you had a friend who came to you and said, I have just been diagnosed with ALS; I want to end my life. What would you say?

Glennis interprets Scott’s words: “Oh I see what you’re saying. If they want to end their life, they’re talking to the wrong guy – because you would just want to encourage them. What would you tell them?“

 

Scott: “God loves you very much and you are very valuable to Him and to others. And just because a doctor tells you that you have ALS [or terminal diagnosis], that your life is over, that is not true. You may be alive for years and have meaning and purpose. So just let God love you.”

 

Glennis: “Let God love you right where you’re at. Yes, that’s good. I know that for years, all we could do was believe against hope. Abraham did that. He believed in hope. Against hope, he believed in hope. That was such a stable verse for us. We said, even if we can’t muster the faith to believe much, we can hope that God is good and that He does love us and He has our best interest and His glory in view as these things are transpiring in our lives. We have to draw near to Him to know what to do. So we’ve looked for His guidance. We’ve looked for His wisdom in the therapies that Scott has done, in the steps that we’ve made in our business.

“We have seen much in the last 13 years! Our wedding anniversary of 25 years was last September. Boy, we wouldn’t have thought that Scott would have seen that day.

“We’ve seen the graduation of our four kids. [Their youngest just graduated this year. She was six years old when Scott was diagnosed and given just two to five years to live.]”

“We’ve seen our daughters play volleyball in college.”

“Jessica [oldest daughter] graduated from college and got married. Scott walked her down the aisle [and danced with her at the reception].”

“Then Jessica became pregnant and we were like, ‘Oh, do we have those nine months? Will Scott see our first grand baby?’ And he did!

“Now [our granddaughter] is a year and a half and she comes and helps her Papa. She likes to help just like my kids like to help and they do what they can. She’s very cute. She comes and brings him a tissue and helps with the little things she can do. It’s so sweet.

“We’ve seen our son be raised up and take over the leadership of our business and we’ve seen expansion of our business into another state, into Arizona.

“So we’ve watched God provide in so many ways. Things that we would’ve though, ‘Okay, there’s going to be devastation. There’s going to be lack. We are going to be in hardship.’ We’re not saying there hasn’t been a measure of those challenges, but as we look back we see, Wow, God has made a way! So we praise God for all He has done.”

Closing Thoughts:

The Dance

Natalie: “A picture is worth a thousand words,” the saying goes. To me, one action of Scott’s speaks as loudly as his profound words. When I see Scott and his family on home video engaging in this simple activity, volumes of truth are conveyed. Much is revealed about how Scott and Glennis have responded to catastrophic circumstances – and in turn, how their children have responded as well.

What is this activity? Dancing. Yes, that’s right! In the face of hopeless circumstances, the Brodies dance. When others would be angry at God, they praise Him. When others could only focus on what has been taken from their lives, the Brodie’s focus on what they’ve been given. When negativity would encroach on another, the Brodies celebrate the simple joys in life. When many would paste a permanent grimace on their face, laughter constantly fills the Brodie home.

This last video clip briefly shows Scott’s decline from being able to speak normally and hold his head up to experiencing difficulties with both…yet he literally dances through through the storm. This is a must see! It will change your day!!

 

 

Be inspired to find hope, peace, perspective and promise in Christ …

…no matter what you are facing!

He went from being a happy, healthy athletic husband and father of four to a man given a death sentence in a doctor’s office. His world turned upside down in a matter of moments. Would Lou Gehrig’s disease defeat him or did God have something else in mind?

 

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Although we are awaiting the final edit of this moving interview with Scott Brodie and his wife Glennis, I can no longer wait to share this amazing story with you! No matter what trial you are facing today – frustration with your job, trouble in your marriage, financial challenges, job loss, illness, children addicted to drugs – Scott and Glennis’ story will give you hope!

“I told God I would rather die and go home to heaven – I was tired of fighting.” Scott Brodie was weary and depressed. Years earlier as a young man, Scott was an accomplished athlete.

His life really seemed to be taking off…especially after marrying Glennis, an aerobics instructor at the gym where they both worked. But soon after, Scott and Glennis and their four children faced something they never could have imagined …

Diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Scott was given just two to five years to live. For over 13 years Scott has maintained his faith and joy in Christ while walking through the valley of the shadow of death.

Yielded fully to God’s control, Scott has received peace and strength through God’s promises. As with Abraham, God has enabled Scott to hope in Him when circumstances contradict all hope. Walking Through the Valley presents the moving life story of Scott Brodie…

 

Be inspired to find hope, contentment and promise in Christ – no matter what you are facing!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Charlie Wedemeyer dies

Charlie Wedemeyer, one of Hawaii’s most storied high school athletes who earned his greatest accolades for his dogged fight against Lou Gehrig’s Disease, died this morning in California. He was 64. Wedemeyer had undergone two major surgeries in recent weeks.

His inspirational life story has been well chronicled, resulting in a PBS documentary, “One More Season,” a CBS movie, “Quiet Victory — The Charlie Wedemeyer Story” and a book he and his wife Lucy wrote, “Charlie’s Victory.”

In 1960, Wedemeyer was voted the Prep Athlete of the Decade. Last year, he was named one of the Hawai’i’s top 50 sportspersons in the 50 years of statehood.

Wedemeyer, a multi-sport athlete at Punahou School, was diagnosed 33 years ago with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the degenerative nerve condition that killed baseball’s “Ironman” at age 37 on June 2, 1941. ALS is usually fatal within three years of diagnosis and only 10 percent of those afflicted live beyond eight years.

Despite Charlie’s illness, the Wedemeyers would make speaking engagements, with Lucy delivering his message by reading his lips and his eye movements.

In 1999, he visited O’ahu Community Correctional Center and quipped, “In a sense, I also have a life sentence.”

In 2005, the Wedemeyers made speaking engagements at Central Union Church and the Hawai’i High School Athletic Association Hall of Honor dinner.

In recent years, Charlie’s kidney failed and last March, he was hospitalized and underwent three surgeries.

Through it all, the family remained incredibly upbeat.

“God is so good. We have been blessed,” Lucy said last year.

Charlie and Lucy Dangler were high school sweethearts at Punahou, where Charlie played quarterback and halfback and was a three-time all-star in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu.

In 1964, he was named ILH Player of the Year, and played in a playoff game against Kamehameha that was televised throughout the state.

At Michigan State, Charlie was a receiver for the No. 2-ranked 1966 team that played No. 1 Notre Dame to a 10-10 tie in college football’s famed “Game of the Century.” It also was the first game televised live to Hawai’i.

After getting married and graduating, the Wedemeyers settled in Los Gatos, a small town about 15 miles southeast of San Jose. They had two children, Carri and Kale, and Charlie began a successful career as a math teacher and football coach at Los Gatos High.

Then in 1976, he started dropping the chalk when writing math problems on the chalkboard in class. After similar difficulties with his hands, he went to see a doctor, and eventually he was diagnosed with ALS.

Lou Gehrig’s Disease is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder that attacks nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord. The result is a loss of muscle control and movement.

ALS, which affects one out of every 50,000 people, accelerates quickly and many patients totally succumb within two or three years of diagnosis.

In Charlie’s case, he was given one year to live.

But the Wedemeyers did not focus on what was taken away.

“In the beginning we didn’t see anything positive about it, but then we renewed our faith in God and realized we are a tool that can be used to help other people,” Lucy said in a 2005 interview with Advertiser sports writer Wes Nakama. “I think Charlie realized what an awesome responsibility he had been given, that there is a plan and purpose for everything.”

In the early years of his illness, Wedemeyer prayed that he could get to see his two children grow up to graduate from high school and then college. They did.

Carri runs the website for the Charlie Wedemeyer Family Outreach program, which raises money for ALS research, while Kale is a doctor in private practice.

“God is so good. We have been blessed. Our two children are both happily married and live close to each other, and 4.2 minutes from us, but who’s counting?” Lucy told Advertiser writer Bill Kwon last year. “We are thrilled to be grandparents. I think it is our greatest accomplishment.”

One of the most versatile athletes locally, Wedemeyer, who was 5 feet 7 and weighed 164 pounds, earned nine varsity letters in high school. He was a first-team all-star with teammate Norm Chow when Punahou won the ILH basketball title in 1964, and played second base on the school’s 1965 ILH championship baseball team.

Wedemeyer played in the East-West Shrine Game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, and then came back home to play in the 1969 Hula Bowl. He played two years of semi-pro football for the Lansing (Mich.) All-Stars.

Charlie’s greatest accomplishment, though, came as football coach at Los Gatos High School, winning seven league championships and posting a 78-18-1 record — after he was afflicted with ALS. In 1985, his team won the Central Coast Section Championship with Lucy, on the sidelines again, reading his lips and relaying his plays to assistant coaches.

“I think it’s important to remember that we will all be confronted with adversity that may seem insurmountable,” Charlie said in 2005. “When it does happen, we have to remember that God has given us the freedom of choice: We can choose to feel sorry for ourselves, be bitter and angry, and cause everybody to be miserable. Or we can become a stronger and better person for it.

“Pain and suffering are inevitable — we all experience it. But misery is an option.

“We do get to make that choice.”

REBECCA BREYER | The Honolulu Advertiser  | June 4, 2010

Charlie Wedemeyer:
February 19, 1946 – June 3, 2010

Charlie Wedemeyer Family Outreach http://www.cwfo.org/