 
O rdinary Man

Extraordinary

God

www.ordinarymanextraordinarygod.com

# God's Testimony of Love & Grace in the life of Ray Scott, U S Marine 1983 & Stage 4 Cancer Survivor since 1992

### Ordinary Man

### Extraordinary God

_Husband-Father_ , _Employee & Friend_

26 years of living God's Miracle

1992 to 2018

Ray Scott

Ordinary Man Extraordinary God by Ray Scott

www.OrdinaryManExtraordinaryGod.com

Copyright © 2018 Ray Scott

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions

Contact Ray Scott at: <https://ordinarymanextraordinarygod.com/contact/>

Distributed by Smashwords

Ebook formatting by ebooklaunch.com

Contents

Foreword

Early Influences

Youth, Taft College, US Marine Corps

The Hand of God

1992 to 1994 Beginning of God's Miracle

Family

Scotts & Uhles, Marriage & Children

God's Favor My Friends

God's Love & Support

Career & Community

Passion to Serve

2017 & 2018

Adapt, Improvise &Overcome

My Personal Relationship with God

My Peace & My Reason for Life

# Foreword

_In June of 2018 while driving to work God inspired me to take a different way to share_ _His Testimony of my life:_

" _Freely Given Freely Shared"_

God already had the person with the ability and passion to do this with those I work with.

_Ensuring only God receives_ _All the Glory, Honor & Praise_

AMEN!!!

### Foreword

By Sue Langford: Producer, Confidant, Friend

Ray Scott was unknown to me until one November day, 1994, in Sacramento, California. He was seated in a large arena during a period of time designated for worship. He was dying and had been diagnosed with stage four cancer. Ray is telling his story through this book. (I have not yet read the book at the time this foreword is being written.) After that day in Sacramento, Ray became the subject of a feature story I produced for Benny Hinn Ministries. You see, I was in the arena that night and witnessed Ray's account of this dramatic event. We have remained friends all these years. Ray and his wife, Deann, are precious.

On that day back in November 1994, early in the service, Ray's body was touched suddenly by the living Jesus and it was the Fire of His Holy Spirit that consumed all disease in Ray Scott's body. Well documented, the story is one of a miracle that brought life and full restoration.

The online Merriam-Webster dictionary describes a "miracle" as "an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs: the healing _miracles_ described in the Gospels."Having said that, I will quote Eric Gilmour from his message as guest speaker to my home church this past Sunday: "Without touching the Source, there's no way to receive the results."

How easy it is to desire a miracle. Ray had sought the _Source of that miracle_ long before that eventful day in 1994. He has an ongoing _personal relationship_ with Jesus, the Christ. Jesus had touched his heart, mind and soul long before He transformed his body.

To be clear, one day as I looked eye to eye with a secular media producer those many years ago, I made the comment that Pastor Benny Hinn heals no one. He would be the very first to make that statement and has made that statement numerous times, both publicly and privately! I went on to tell the producer that Benny Hinn simply has a God-given gift of _pointing people to the One who does heal_ and his desire, along with the desire of others on staff at the time, was and still is to lead others into an atmosphere of worship, so that Jesus through His Holy Spirit, may feel welcomed and manifest Himself. So it was that very day!

A few years ago, Ray gratefully saw the twentieth anniversary of the day that healing miracle took place. I was once again privileged, this time as a freelance producer, to sit down and interview Ray Scott for his website, www.extraordinaryGod.com. He continues to point upward to his Savior, his Lord and his _Source_ for every good and perfect gift.

Today, as you read Ray's story, be assured that Jesus, the living Word, One who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1), is here through His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One who reveals and presents Jesus to us. He still desires that we all seek to know Him and behold His Glory, just as Ray Scott, I and countless others are doing around the world. The Fire of His Spirit yearns and burns to consume what is ungodly within each of us, just as His Fire burned in Ray on that November day, 1994. O _ur God is a consuming Fire_ (Hebrews 12: 28 and 29), as confirmed by Elijah in I Kings 18.

To Him alone, be everlasting glory!

### Foreword

by Jeanette Richardson Herring: Godmother, Community Mentor, Friend

Cancer, just the word itself drains the human spirit and makes us weak in the knees. Cancer, causes great grief in the heart of the hearers. Cancer, the scourge of modern times.

Deann Scott, Ray's wife worked with me in ministry as my assistant and a very organized, caring and funny young wife, mother and student of the Bible- I called her BRAT. Beautiful. Radiant. Attractive. Trustworthy.But she knew there were times that she was a brat too. I enjoy the company of people with questions and humor who keep me on my toes. Her husband Ray was a serious young man, totally devoted to his wife, daughters and God. Everything he did was done with honor and a sense of duty. As a former Marine Ray embodied strength and courage. I grew to love this young family, becoming God mother to their delightful daughters

Ray has cancer.

I don't remember when I first heard those words, but I thought that's impossible, not Ray.There are times in life when one sentence or phone call changes your life. Ray has cancer is one of those times. While Deann and I gathered prayer warriors. Ray set about in his Marine style organization and made sure everything he did and would do with family, friends and co-workers would be handled. He always put others ahead of himself.

Ray has cancer but cancer doesn't have Ray.

Ray endured multiple treatments and hospital stays, the cancer was insistent, it continued to find ways to attempt to take down this beautiful, loving, honorable spirit. Ray never railed at God, he continued to proclaim God's love, his concern was not for himself but for his young family. We who loved him continued to pray for he and his family, there was a sense that he would live and not die but that's not what the doctors were reporting. Ray has cancer and the cancer may take his life but not his love of God and family. Ray never claimed he deserved to live. Ray trusted God and whatever God's plan was for his life. We kept praying, no one gave up.

Ray has cancer but cancer doesn't have Ray. God has Ray.

In the last days of ravaging cancer and the fallout from devastating treatments Ray submitted to his family's desire for one last request from God and took Ray to a Benny Hinn service. Surely, if Ray is to be saved this service might just be the place for God to receive the glory for healing Ray and bringing more people to glimpse the majesty and love God has for ordinary people. God met Ray there. Ray doesn't have cancer. Those were the words of another phone call that that can change a life. The doctors say they can't explain it but Ray who was to die in weeks is cancer free.

Ray doesn't have cancer.

As you read this story of an ordinary man who believes in an extraordinary God, you will see that cancer doesn't always have the last word. You will feel Ray's heart for service and his gratefulness to Jesus for bringing him new life, more than once. You will see that when we put ourselves in God's path of love we just may be a miracle ourselves. This is a story of love, of promises, and honor, God's not man's.

# Early Influences

Being one of six children, raised Catholic in New Jersey, by parents who modeled a strong work ethic and responsibility, is the starting point of a life of service. I am part of the second pair of twin boys. Only 15 months apart, Bill and Bunny Scott followed by two my younger sisters within 36 months. I was very much the middle child. Feeling very ordinary to my siblings who are more gifted and popular then I could ever be in my youth.

My father was a business person, and my mom was a nurse. They were first and second in their high school graduating class. I admired them and was that child who was more interested in listening to their conversations with other adults, than I was being a normal kid.

I knew of my grandparent's life of service. Grandpa Scott served in the army in WWII. Grandpa and Grandma Conti gave property to the church, and Grandpa Frank Conti worked in their community. We had a great extended Scott and Conti families that enjoyed being together during the holidays, with summer camping trips or 25 of us in one house for any reason. Being the oldest family, of both families, came with both admiration and responsibilities from our families.

Scott Family Children

Bobby - Janice - Billy

Roger - Kim - Ray

My uncle George Corrigan was the first person, who talked to me directly, about my understanding and relationship with God in my life. He spoke to me in a truly caring way during times the families were together camping, planning football, and playing cards. Always as casual conversation, this continued in my childhood in a positive manner, for me to seek the Lord for myself. My parents always allowed us to be our own individuals.

My earliest service I remember was as an altar boy in our parish of Saint Francis in Piscataway, New Jersey. Father Grabowski talked to me about sports and music as we prepared for Mass. Father Grabowski was one of the first men outside of my family that shared inspiration of life.

I enjoyed feeling the reverence of the Catholic Church for God and the reasons of rituals of the Catholic Life. While being confirmed in the church I was able to serve in, I remember the Bishop performing the service, was walking up and down the aisle talking to us who was prepared to be confirmed. I was sitting on the end closest to the aisle and the Bishop stopped and rested his hand upon my shoulder and smiled at me. This was a moment for me which I remember today as if it was just yesterday. My parent's desire was that we remain in Catholic school, but the reality of paying for two then four then five and six children at once was impractical, even for two professional people at that time. We moved to public education which enabled us to experience life like most children.

St. Francis was our Parish and School in Piscataway, New Jersey until 4th grade

As a young boy I always knew and had a deep sense that if I took care of others that God would take care of me.

I loved that I was never taught to Fear God, that God would punish me for not doing His Will, but rather to reverence God by doing His Will, To Honor God is to love others as He loves me, to Bless His Children with God's Favor in my Life. Just as in the song Prayer of St. Francis: "Lord make me an instrument of your peace".

My passion for our country started with the Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts, living for something greater then myself. I enjoyed camping and competition that Scouting provided and earning awards and advancement that comes with one's own efforts. We were taught as Boy Scouts to leave a campsite cleaner than we arrived. As a child, I remember our next door neighbor Mrs. Fallon always encouraging me when I was doing something good without being asked to. This behavior was enforced by my mother. Being on the East Coast, as kids, we would make money shoveling snow to clear driveways. My mom said we had to shovel our driveway and our close neighbor's driveways at no charge before we could go out and make our money.

Conti Family Reunion Massachusetts 1985

Mom a volunteer Paramedic for our community knew our elderly neighbors needed our help. My parents were always pleased that we were known as good kids, not perfect, but good hearted. My two favorite movies growing up were Ten Commandments and Fiddler on the Roof. Both movies gave me a great sense of God and Family and the importance of that in life.

It was in middle school that I had started to differ from my siblings in one way which was music, with playing the trombone and singing in the choir in school and church. It was at this time that I believed I have the best attributes of my both my parents and believed that if I honor my father and mother as God's ten commandments tell us to I would live a long life with God.

Favorites Movies during my youth: God & Family

My high school days at Piscataway High were filled with activities, award winning track, cross country teams, concert choir, yearbook, drama production team and Super Chief marching band, a national acclaimed marching band, undefeated in my four years of high school and having performed at NFL games, New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade and for Disney's New York grand opening of Pete's Dragon in 1978. Then after winning the national show band competition in Daytona, Florida, in 1979, the Super Chiefs were the band for the day at Disney World, Orlando.

Also in my junior year, in English class, my teacher assigned us the book "Lord of the Flies" a book that provides an example of human society through a group of children and display how society develops between good and evil. I was the development of a "Black Mass" once the evil group of boys separated themselves from the good boys. My English teacher had never see this or brought to his attention in the book before. I learned then that if I specially and respectfully present my views, that they would be considered.

The beginning of understanding the value of being part of something larger then yourself

My senior year at Piscataway High School was amazing, undefeated cross country season, continued undefeated marching band, went to the senior prom with Sharon Rawlings, a fellow band member I was attracted to since middle school. To give you an example of how talented my siblings are, the Vice Principal of the high school saw me in the hall way and stopped me to ask if I was going to be at the senior awards? I replied, Of course, to watch my twin walk away with everything. My twin Rodger is an amazingly talented vocational arts person. He replied "No, for you". Rodger was the senior with most varsity letters of any senior that year. When it came to vocational awards, Rodger won every category but one, which to my surprise I received for graphic arts. Rodger never made me feel anything less than his equal, even though it was apparent to everyone around us.

I was never a standout in any activity, but enjoyed being part of. My science teacher and summer track coach since 9th grade, Joseph Koroni knew of my talented siblings, but saw something different in me. So in 1979, he asked me to lead a "Thank You Canada "petition that I was able to present to the Canadian Embassy in the World Trade Building after rescuing our American Citizens out of Iran. High School was very real, where I also experienced several types of types of discriminations: racial, sexual and the humiliation of politics of life that comes with a person attempting to achieve more, but because I was not a standout, I was an easy target. This made me only more determined to do the Right Thing for the Right Reason in life. My cross country and track Coach James Macluskie told me I was a "Jack of all trades" one day he meet me at McDonalds, as I was working after a cross country work out. If he only knew, how true that would become my talent.

College took me to Taft, California in 1980, as Taft Jr. College's first long distance runner recruited. This was the start of my adult life. It was here I was given the opportunity to develop service skills on campus and in the community. Being a Business Administration student, I naturally fit in the student government as Treasurer for both years.

1980 to 1982 Taft College First Steeple Chase and Long Distance Runner

Taft College Cannon Crew For Every Football Game

I was also was part of the Cannon Crew for the Football Games. Taft College Football Teams were Jr. College National Champions that scored a lot of points that allowed us to fire off that Oxygen & Acetylene gas Cannon, truly being a part of the game. I took my marching skills from high school to coach the Lincoln Junior High Drill team and was a teacher's aide for athletics at McKittrick Elementary school. I found that showing a true concern for other's efforts and doing the right thing for the right reason while following through with my word and actions was appealing to the college administration and community. It was here at Taft Jr. College that I found that staying true to my beliefs benefited me and how I was perceived as a person. Even though I did not experience a great track career due to developing stress fractures in my right leg which required being casted. I would not allow it to stop my service life in the community and was shown appreciation by Taft Chamber of Commerce as Co-Citizen of the Year in 1982. This was the only time the Chamber of Commerce could not decide between two people with three different votes were all tied. Deann Uhles was my Co-Citizen of the Year which was part of God's greater plan for my life. Deann and I became close during the lasts months of our college days. One day I found Deann upset in the back hall of the student center and asked her why she was upset.

Taft Lincoln Jr High Drill Team

1981 to 1982

Deann said she had an argument with a college staff member and the person she cares about does not even know she exists. I said "What idiot is that. Deann looked right at me and said You"! We had that classic kiss under a street light one night, and I told Deann that I would be back in one year's time, not knowing how I would keep that promise.

Directly after I graduated from Taft College, I was asked to stay with my Grandma Conti after she was released from a rehabilitation hospital after suffering a stroke. I Spent three weeks with her talking daily about her family memories. Like my mother, Conti women, when they see the need of others, they do something or have their children do something. My Aunt Carol and I were driving, and she saw a young lady on the side of the road with a flat tire. She turned to me and said "You are going to help her", I did not have to think who I got my determination from since my Grandmother displayed that for me. She was not supposed to walk down and up the basement stairs to do the laundry, due to possible balance issues. I would go running early in the morning while I thought she was still sleeping. Grandma Conti would hear me leave and go to the basement and do the laundry while I was out.

Conti Women 1985 - Left to Right

My Mom - Aunt Phyllis - Aunt Carol -Aunt Denise - Aunt Karen

The year between college and the Marine Corps was difficult in a number of different ways, so I decided to take a vacation back with friends from college and stayed in Bakersfield, California, right by Taft. There I found Deann in Bakersfield through common friends. When I called her Deann, she said without hesitation "My Ray", I returned to Deann within a few days of a year. We started our cross country, relationship.

• • •

I was mentally prepared for boot camp by my Uncle Russell Scott who served in the Marine Corps in the early 1960's at Parris Island where I went to boot camp, 3rd Battalion, Platoon 3015 stating November 18th, 1983, just after the bombing of Marine Corps Barrack in Lebanon.

Our drill instructors would talk to us each night about tensions in the Middle East and say we are preparing for war, men. Due to my college degree, I was appointed as 1st squad leader and was expected to help teach recruits to learn Marine Corps Essential Subjects.

Private Scott - 3rd Row at Right End

Because I attended church services each week, the Base Chaplin requested I be appointed as Platoon Lay Leader. Leading recruits in prayer each night was a responsibility of the position.

One can see God's sense of humor in how He did this. One day the Junior Drill Instructor was "Dogging Out" a recruit colorfully for not following orders. The Base Chaplin, a Navy Lieutenant, walked in at that moment and said, "This Bible is intended for Recruit Scott, but I believe you need it more". That night during hygiene inspection, my Senior Drill Instructor Graham walks up to me, waiving the Bible in my face, asking if I could explain the reason for this? I immediately responded, "Request Mast to a Higher Power", meaning request to speak with a higher authority in the military chain of command. The senior drill instructor was surprised by the immediate and correct response. Then he flipped the Bible at me and walked back to his office. It did not end there. The next day was Pugil Sticks Combat Training which simulates fighting with one's rifle, normally one on one. The same Junior Drill Instructor that received my Bible the day before had made other plans for me. He chose me to fight two marines from other platoons. I immediately prayed for some Favor from God, while I was staring at these two recruits. A whistle would begin the fight. I heard it and attacked them knocking them both down before they could strike. There was only one problem. The whistle I heard was for the match behind me.

One night my Senior Drill, Instructor Staff Sergeant Graham prayed over our entire platoon "What is your life worth if you are not willing to lay it down for another", A prayer I would repeat latter in life that moved God's compassion on me.

I spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day in Parris Island. My big brother Bob at that year's Thanksgiving Dinner, asked for prayer for me during my time at boot camp.

Due to my high ASVAB scores, Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test scores, I was selected and expected to go from Enlisted Boot Camp to OCS, Officer Candidate School, only with my battalion commander's approval. Just before graduation from boot camp I meet with the battalion commander to discuss this possibility.

Marine Corps Code of Conduct: God Country Corps and Moto: Semper Fidelis / Always Faitful

He started questioning why I did not have a perfect PFT-Physical Fitness Test score of 300; mine was 295 because my hand slipped off the pull up bar due to sweat. I told him I was prepared for boot camp by my Uncle who was a Warrant Officer, a rank that is respected by both enlisted and commissioned officer, because he came through the enlisted ranks to become a commissioned officer. I said I have always led by experience and not just yelling orders out because of my rank. The battalion commander said I needed time in the Marine Corps to better understand my statement. I said "Thank you, sir, just as I planned".

Since I was trained in Parris Island, I should have received orders for an East Coast Base. Instead I know God sent me out to Camp Pendleton, California, where I was able to marry my Co-Citizen of the Year, Carla Deann Uhles. We were married by my Priest while I was at Taft College, who performed the first interdenominational marriage between a Catholic and Baptist couple.

It was in the Marine Corps in the squad bay of Area 14 barracks of Camp Pendleton that after having a spirited conversation with a fellow Marine, me, a Catholic and he a Baptist discussed salvation, while surrounded by many Marines, both speaking our faith and standing our ground and ending with mutual respect for each other. That night while lying in my bunk, I asked God to completely fill me with His Holy Spirit and accept me for His Will Amen.

Our August 24th 1984 Wedding with my Priest Father Braun from days at Taft College.

God's protection was evident throughout my time in the Marine Corps. First being selected in 1985 for Operation Bright Star in Egypt, I was assigned to set up two field exchanges/stores in Al Hammam, 200 miles from Libran border and Cairo West. I traveled across Egypt with no rifle, no interpreter, and with an Egyptian commercial driver that could only say Coca Cola and Michael Jackson in English. We pulled up to a military check point. The driver got out showing documentation and leaves the truck running. An Egyptian soldier opened the door to the truck and reached in to turn off the engine. We motion to the soldier not to, because we knew the truck would not start without being pulled and jump started. The Egyptian soldier immediately pointed his AK47 rifle at me, and I immediately motion to him, Please have your way. Once I reached the air field at Cairo West, the air strip that Israel destroyed during the seven day war with Egypt, I was in charge of the field exchange for the Marine Corps Air Wing. I learned a saying that would be profound later on in my life, "No Man is too Big to Pick Up Another Man's FOD - Foreign Object or Debris", meaning it only takes a small piece of trash or bolt to be sucked up into a jet engine to bring it down. Because I was the exchange officer for this location, I was required to bunk/sleep in the officer's tent next to my container with all the merchandise.

In the last days of the operation, the officer's and I saw the General's helicopter fly into the base. All of my merchandise was sold, so I was just waiting for my transport to take me to Cairo in a few days to meet up with fellow exchange marine, to fly home. I jokingly said to one of the Captains; "Hey ask the General if I could catch a ride with him to Cairo". I was in shorts, tee shirt and sandals across the compound, just casually walking around. Then I heard my name called broadcasted over the speakers. "Corporal Scott, get back to the officer's tent now". I run into the officer's tent seeing three Captains packing my gear and yelling at me to get dressed now. The officer I was joking with said, "You got what you asked for". A few minutes later, the General staff came to escort me out to meet the General. The General said he would glad to give up a lift. When his staff opened the helicopter doors, all I saw were Cornels and Lt. Cornels. The General asked, "You men wouldn't mind holding the Corporals gear as we fly?" I was strapped in next to the machine gunners set on the outside of the Helicopter. I could have never imagined this to have happened. Flying through Egypt, over the great Nile River, past the Great Pyramids, while turning with every move of the helicopter. I thanked God for His Favor and Protection once again during this operation. Spending a month in Egypt gave me another level of gratitude for our United States of America. Completely understanding firsthand the statement, "One is Blessed to live in America"

With the success of the Operation Bright Star I was transferred to USMC base in Barstow, California, where I was promoted to Barstow Base Exchange Chief. I was immediately assigned to a Logistical Support Unit that required a Top Secret Clearance, further combat training and I had to obtained a Class A commercial driver's license. During the interview process, while standing in front of the Base Commanding General asked, because of my experience as religious lay leader in boot camp, if I could fulfill the duties of the Unit's Chaplin. I replied "Yes sir". We experienced two deaths during my time with the unit, which I called upon the Lord to help me with the men in our unit. One of my favorite Marines, in LSU was Staff Sergeant Santana, a very direct component leader who taught me 1) to achieve your next rank, you must act and work as if you already own it and 2) in leadership if you start strict and direct with keeping standards, people have respect you. If you attempt to lead with being easy, people will use you and attempt to go around you. Simple human nature, as a leader, it is your responsibility to understand this.

With obtaining my Class A license I was able to drive buses from our church in Barstow for children's ministry that my daughter Lindsey went with me every Sunday to Church to join Deann and Ashley there. Lindsey was always the child pastors put new children with because Lindsey made friends with everyone.

I always utilized the skills God provided me to serve God and others. Our group LSU, Logistical Support Unit, was requested to be the Inspecting General's drivers and support team. I had an eye infection weekend before the USMC Inspecting General's tour of Barstow, and I was assigned to be the driver for the Inspecting Generals Sergeant Major. I asked God to heal my eye and God healed my eye, by Monday of that week. Then when my assistant in the Marine Corps popped positive on a drug test, returning from a weekend pass, he attempted to lie about me to the Staff Judge Advocate about theft of our Exchange Change Machines, to get a reduced penalty in his drug charge. My assistant had the Military Police buying his lies, and the MPs actually were charging me with a crime. I was called into the Battalion Commanding Officer's office to talk about Office Hours for military punishment. I rejected the Office Hours and requested a Formal Court Martial. I called my pastor and asked for prayer to know how to handle these false allegations. God had set me in the best place possible being part of LSU special operations unit, that is only answerable to the Base Commanding General. I contacted the LSU Commanding Officer, and explained the false allegations and pending charges. Within 24 hours, all things against me were dismissed and the only finger prints found in the change machines were my assistant's. God had people move on my behalf when all I could do was pray. The Marine Corps Staff Judge Advocate made me a witness for the prosecution in the court martial trial of my assistant. The defense counsel commented about my faith during my deposition prior to the trail. During the court martial the defense attempted to discredit my testimony because of my faith in front of the Military Judge by saying I was a religious fanatic, but the Judge immediately stopped them. I simply answered," I am a Christian". This just reinforced my Faith in God's place in my life.I experienced an even higher-level security and leadership during my time at Barstow.

It was in the Marine Corps that I completely understood that the people God places in your life will provide God's protection and favor because of God's character in your life.

Our Marine Corps Motto: Semper Fidelis/ Always Faithful and Marine Corps Code of Conduct: God Country Corps Amen!!!

At the end of my enlistment, I meet with the Commanding Officer for all Marine Corps Exchanges from USMC Headquarters in Quantico, Virginia. He gave me a great compliment upon ending my tour of duty. "Sergeant Scott because of your business skills you have been assigned to the exchange service, Because of your leadership skills, you belong in the infantry". I was among the first to receive the Navy Achievement Medal for my actions in the Logistical Support Unit.

I thanked God for the experiences in my life that gave me the ability serve God, Country, and Community. God used the Marine Corps to strengthen my Christian character as well as my business and leadership skills. Marine Corps prepared me to maintain my primary position while serving on extra operations. _God used the Marne Corps to prepare me for the toughest battle of my life with the mindset of "10 foot Bullet Proof Marine" or "Bull Dog Faith" which I minister about today._

Upon leaving the Marine Corps in November 1987, our family began attending Kern Christian Center lead by fellow Marine Pastor Billy Rash. It was here that I began serving God as Church Usher, Men's Ministry, and Church Choir. It was here that I experienced how God can utilize my position at work to serve God and the community I live in 1998. In men's ministry, I appreciated so many leaders who were not concerned with being politically correct, but rather was concern with being correct with God's word. A person that allowed me to serve in their Prison Ministry was Pastor Howe Steinhart whose ministry was focused on California Youth Authority prison system. He was a prisoner himself numerous times and turned his life around to bring Jesus to inmates to share God's Love with those who had fallen due to their own life choices. I enjoyed working with Howe because he was real and direct with me.

• • •

One trip up to Sacramento, California, five hours from Bakersfield to Preston Prison, we listen to "Bull Dog Faith" from David Wilkerson of Time Square Ministry, which appealed to me because one of the main points was to hang on to God's word as a Bull Dog would on a piece of meat.

My favorite verse is Isaiah 40:31, "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew _their_ strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; _and_ they shall walk, and not faint." For me, "To Wait upon the Lord" means to actively serve the Lord in the midst of our life and challenges.

Kern Christian was the first entity that allowed me to help with construction of new facility. I also experienced that when I prayed for someone else's Favor with God, that God in turned blessed me. In 1988, Deann and I attended a Women's Joy Ministry meeting, Deann was working with children's ministry at church and created the Champion in Christ children's program. Toward the end of the meeting, the Pastor speaking at the meeting prayed over the couples in attendance. The Pastor said that God was going to take us into a worldwide ministry; I accepted that for Deann's children's program. Then November 1994, God started to use His testimony of healing me from a stage 4 colon cancer in a worldwide ministry.

God's first community event that God inspired me to organize was the Bakersfield Centennial Gospel night that started in 1996 which I shared with the choir directors of Kern Christian Center in 1989. I also began to work with Promise Keepers, a Men's Community Ministry for Kern County. Pastor Billy Rash was also the first person we called once I was diagnosed with cancer for prayer in June of 1992.

The last experience I remember prior to the diagnoses of cancer in my life was a dream that I had one night where I fought with Satan himself for my life. This was a true physical fight for my life, as I learned during hand to hand combat in the Marine Corps. Satan and I would, punch, kick, and throw each other around the room to kill each other. At a moment Satan and I had each by the throat, and Satan laughed trying to intimidate me. Instead through the teachings of God's word I remembered that Satan wanted my heart and soul to destroy me and my faith. So with all the power I had within me, I punched Satan in his chest and ripped out his heart and then dropped it to the ground and stomped on it. Then I released Satan as he crumbled to the ground.

I woke up next to Deann and she asked, "Who the heck where you fighting with, you where thrashing around your side of our bed " I know then that God used all the experiences in my life at this moment not to fear but rather to fight because God prepared me for a time such as this.

# The Hand of God

### Works through people and situations one has

I, like my father, always had the ability to shake off the flu by going to bed and sweating it out. I know I have a high pain tolerance and never miss work. It was late May 1992, and I thought I had food poisoning. Stomach pain and high fever that was the worst I had ever felt, I could not go to work, sleep it off and go to work the next day without any other issues for next two weeks. It was Sunday June 7th 1992, and I was a manger for Olive Garden Restaurants. My favorite day to work, because I could see a lot of my church friends throughout the day, but as I pulled on the front door of the restaurant, a pain started in the right side of my abdomen. The pain just grew throughout my lunch shift, and my face starting having a yellow color as described by my employees. I finally had to give in and talk with my fellow manager to take the rest of my shift, because he said I needed to go home before I made anyone else sick and I should call my wife to pick me up. The night before with our two girls, Lindsay, 9, and Ashley, 6, and wife Deann, I had fish sticks, fries, ice cream and popcorn, nothing out of the ordinary. I drove home because I knew Deann was busy with the girls. When I got home Deann was folding laundry on our bed and she was surprised when I walked through the door of our mobile home. I fell on our bed face first and was kicking the bed because of the pain. Deann asked if I wanted to go to a Medi Center or Emergency Room. I said Emergency Room and Deann quickly got the girls taken care of and put me in the car to go to Mercy Truxtun's ER. Once the triage nurse got to us, she quickly said I was a nightmare to diagnose because of conflicting issues that I presented at that time. The doctors said I have appendixes ready to burst due to the hard bulge in my right side of my abdomen. The surgeon that was on call was the surgeon that in January of 1992 repaired an inguinal hernia that resulted in discovery of possible Malignant Hyperthermia with a temperature of 104.8 degrees. Dr. Stone knowing this opted to use a spinal block anesthesia that does not trigger Malignant Hyperthermia, but a spinal block only lasts about 45 minutes. Dr. Stone said this is not a problem for simple appendectomy. The surgery went an hour and a half due to a sea of gangrene and peritonitis with a tumor the size of my fist that caused the appendix to rupture two weeks ago and rotted. In an hour and a half, Dr. Stone cleared out the gangrene peritonitis, removed the tumor, and took safe margins around the tumor which required removal of my ileocecal valve that connects the small and large intestine. When I came to in the recovery room, all that I knew is that I had a large mass removed and had a drainage tube coming out my nose. I remember calling my Mom in New Jersey, a nurse who was at the time the head on nursing development and training at Jersey Shore Hospital.

The next day in the hospital Deann and I were watching Michael Landon in Highway to Heaven, the episode that a pregnant mother was diagnosed with cancer. Dr. Stone walked into my room and said the mass was a large stage 4 colon cancer and asked how I was able to walk around for two weeks with the amount of gangrene and peritonitis that had formed in me, I simply said, "That's God for Ya"

Dr. Stone said I would walk out of the hospital, but because of the uniqueness of my cancer that typically appears in a 60 plus year old, the hospital had called a special tumor board to discuss my case with specialists. This same day Deann's grandfather in Arkansas was diagnosed with bone cancer. Talk about double barrel shot gun effect. Our Lindsey and Ashley were staying with Deann's brother Phil during my hospital stay and had not been able to see me for few days. Lindsey, being a mature and perceptive 9 year old, who noticed everyone's somber mood, asked "Is everyone upset because my daddy died?" Our family told her what was happening and brought our daughters to me.

• • •

Once understanding what we were dealing with, I call my Mom and told her what the surgeon just explained. My mom just got a new assistant working with her from Cedars-Sinai-Medical Center in New York. Moms asked, "Tell me about a 30 year old, male with stage 4 colon cancer." Her assistant replied "Not good at all."

Deann had called Pastor Billy Rash, also a fellow Marine from Kern Christian Center we had been members of, to come pray with us in the hospital. As soon as we finished praying, Dr. Stone walked in my room and began to explain that my stage 4 colon cancer is very aggressive, me being a 30 years old, at the time and that I may have 18 months at the outmost to live and that treatment will start immediately. Radiation treatment 5 days a week for 5 weeks and a round of Chemotherapy started a month after I left the hospital, allowing time for the surgery site to heal.

The hospital sent a counselor to talk with me the very next day. She asked if I was mad at God about the cancer.

I said "No, because I know that this was not from God, but from Satan." She smiled and then started asking about my family.

Pastor Rash asked if I would share how God spared my life during this time, the first Sunday after being released from the hospital. A friend and Elder of the church worked the sound booth for services, who knew that I planned on singing the song "People Need the Lord" after giving God's Testimony in providing for me in this stage 4 colon cancer. Pastor was ministering, and the elder from the sound booth approached pastor on the stage and urged him to let me sing my song now for the congregation. Pastor, to my surprise, called me up to sing, and asked me to sing what God had placed on my heart, "People Need the Lord". As I was singing, because of the move of the Holy Spirit people began to come to the base of the stage as if it was an alter call. Twenty to 30 people were on their knees and began worshiping God.

As I was leaving the stage, the Holy Spirit let me know, "This is was this is for" and, then the "Peace that Passes All Understanding" became real for me and with it the trust and strength in God I needed to live through the next 2 1/2 years of treatment. To make a long story short, the next 2 1/2 years resulted in chemo, going from once a week 1, hour treatment to wearing a chemo pump 24 hours a day and one 8, hour treatment. Four major abdominal surgeries, each time the surgeon found new areas of cancer and positive lymph nodes, removal of 40% of my large intestine, 20% of my small intestine, 14 hospital stays, 2 massive blood clots due to failed port-a-caths. Due to the removal of so much of my intestine, I was dealing with short bowel syndrome that caused a multitude of issues in my daily life and became malnourished because my body was not able to absorb the nutrition of the food, no matter how much I ate. In 1994 I started chemo, 24 hours a day, through a waist pack that I wore. Mid way through the five weeks of radiation treatment in July of 1992 my daughter Ashley had the flu, so in the attempt to comfort her, as most fathers would, I held her in my lap. That night I developed the flu. One normally feels miserable, but with a radiated abdomen, the pain was incredible. Deann was up with me all night, and finally I remembered that a hot bath would relax my abdomen and relieve the pain. It did, and Deann finally went to sleep. It was early morning now. Our girls were asleep in the room next to the bathroom. As I stood up to get out of the bathtub, because of the hot water, what strength I had was gone. I passed out and went head first into the corner of the counter and slammed into the wall. This woke up my 9 and 6 year old, daughter, to find their dad lying in the floor, naked while bleeding from my head. They woke Deann up and somehow she got me up to walk into our bedroom and lay me on the bed. My mature Lindsey who could understand the gravity of the moment sat on the end of our bed and said "This sucks". Ashley was holding my hand saying "Daddy it's going to be okay", got to Love a Child like Faith, Amen!!! I could only think of my three girls and what I was putting them through.

After the second abdominal surgery in February of 1993, due to a blockage in my intestine, I was only able to take in instant oatmeal and fluids for three weeks. When they did a barium enema they found the cancer grew back at the original site. This required the doctors to remove more intestine, 40% of large and 20% of small intestine. This caused a condition known as "Short Bowel Syndrome". Not being able to control my bodily functions was devastating to me. I was in a miserable state and did not smile or laugh for at least two weeks. Deann was very concerned for her Marine. One late night on HBO Tim Allen's show "Re-Wire America" standup comedy was on. I always enjoyed Tim's view on life Real Man Stuff!!!! Exactly what I needed to get out of myself, laughter was the medicine I needed.

After this last incident I felt I needed to change Oncologist, and meet with Dr. Alan Cartmell of Comprehensive of Cancer and Blood Center. He always allowed me to be direct with him. My initial question was, "After reviewing my case, what is your best educated guess?"

Dr. Cartmell said it would be less time than the tumor board gave me. I told Dr. Cartmell of the statement I made to a counselor that I was not going to let something the size of my fist take me out. Dr. Cartmell was amazed and said "Ray you realize a tumor the size of your fist is not small."

The surgeons Dr. Stone and Dr. Newborough had said that the tumor had ruptured in my abdomen; spraying cancer cells throughout my abdomen as if someone took paint and sprayed my insides. Dr. Cartmell said that they would have to surgically go in and look for the cancer every 6 months.

My third, abdominal surgery was October of 1993 to repair a hernia that developed from the original surgery. I had felt my intestine pushing through the abdominal wall and could see it under my skin. Dr. Newborough once again took care of me. Once again they used a spinal block because it was supposed to be a simple procedure. Instead they found more cancer growing on my back muscles. I was awake during the entire surgery. So I heard Dr. Newborough say "Oh No", Not what you want to hear, and I watched the nurse walk away with what he just cut out of me to for further testing. Then Dr. Newborough was requested to physically exam my organs by touch, to quickly check for any growths. The pressure was intense and I had the type of relationship with my doctors I knew I could say anything. Since I never was asleep, I said "Doc, just rip out my throat while you're up there." Doctor Newborough looked over the apron and had a surprised look and said "What the Heck?" Then I spent three days in the hospital because of roller coaster of high temperatures and problems breathing due to a possible collapsed lung. This really scared the anesthesiologist, because I warned him of my possible Malignant Hyperthermia, and he was so sure I did not have that condition because I did not have the typical reactions that occur with this condition. I tried to tell him "My Medical History NOT TYPICAL!!!"

It was at this time that my prayer changed from asking for healing to "God's Perfect Will", which once again brought that peace that passes all human understanding for me. Deann and our girls continued to have a difficult time with the effects of the cancer on our lives. American Cancer Society in 1993 in its early years was able to help our girls with coping with what they saw happening to our lives. I have always been a person who appreciated when those who took care of my Deann, Lindsey and Ashley. Here is God for Ya, I know that God has used the ordinary people who come in and out of our lives to bless us and bring peace into our lives. There were amazing people of Mercy Hospital who loved Deann and me every time I was there knowing us by name being a frequent patient in this past year. A hospital housekeeper by the name of Maria that took care of the third floor which was the cancer ward, a sweet amazing person who loved on Deann and me every time I was there with a peace and loving smile and prayer. Pete in radiology always made me feel special and took what seemed like extra effort to make me comfortable in my pain. The nurses of the third floor knew I was the General Manger of Olive Garden and would talk to me about their teenagers and work issues. They knew that I was the kind of person they could place another person in my room that needed encouragement. Because of my life being raised by a nurse I had a deep appreciation for nurses and I instructed my staff at Olive Garden to not to bring me stuff, because I could not eat at times, but to bring meals to the nursing staff.

In January of 1994 our family encouraged us to visit Christ Cathedral, and the Sunday night we first came, Pastor Wasdin welcomed us and the elders prayed for us. At this point we were physically and emotionally tired to the point it was hard to lift our hands in Praise & Worship. So they loved on us in many ways that can only be described as the Love of God, Amen!!! It was at this time Dr. Cartmell said I had to go on Federal Disability because I was not allowed to go back to work due to now going on chemotherapy 24 hours a day.

It was Easter weekend 1994, and I was developing pain in my neck and we were waiting for the birth of our nephew, so I did not want to take the attention away from our family's day, but when the pain left me not able to turn my neck, Dr. Cartmell, my oncologist, feared that the cancer has spread to my base of my neck. To complicate things my liver test showed possible damage due to chemo, so the hospital did a biopsy putting a slit into my side and taking a slice of my kidney. Then the first blood clot developed, resulting in my left hand, arm, shoulder and neck swelling up three or four times normal size. Now the doctors had to balance the blood thinner to resolve the blood clot and ensure I did not bleed out because of the liver biopsy just performed. The doctors said I would not make it through the weekend. My mom, who has been a nurse all her adult life, flew in from New Jersey with my father, took one look at me and lay across me in my hospital bed crying, knowing this may be the last time she would see me. This was the first of four times in 1994 that I should have died of complication of cancer treatment, but God brought me through when doctors said I would not. The doctors did not want me to move at all, so they had me on morphine drip, Lortab and valium. I woke up one morning this week and decided to use the restroom on my own. I stood up and fell, feeling like the fall was in slow motion and I took out everything in my way. Uncontrollably panicked, it took 4 people to but me back in my bed. The following Sunday while my Deann and my parents are in my hospital room, I said that I promised my wife that on our 10 year anniversary I would take her on a cruise, and since Deann's birthday is November 7th, which is my parent's wedding anniversary, we should go on that cruise together. Of course, they agreed with anything I wanted. I got out of the hospital once again and started planning this trip, and put the deposit down with our tax return. As the year went on, our prescription costs were at the point that I was going to ask for a refund for our cruise. One of my nurses, Roselyn at Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center, who lost her husband also to colon cancer, knew of my plans and financial difficulties, asked me if I would allow her to pay for our cruise because she and her husband went on a cruise before he passed on. Now that is God loving you through people, Amen!!!

One day while taking a shower with my chemo pack and looked into the bathroom mirror and saw what used to be a 10ft bullet proof Marine and saw a 130, pound dying man. I asked God for the same power that you gave to the Mighty Men of Israel to defeat their enemy to me. I then would flex what muscles I had left, as WWF wrestlers would do in the ring that I enjoyed watching, to gain the strength to make through another day, which became my daily exercise of my faith.

In June of 1994, a new radioactive isotope test called an "Oncoscint" was developed to detect cancer cells at a microscopic level. It showed cancer growing at the base of my aorta. The radiologist sad to my wife Deann, "You know, Ray is terminal." I remember when Dr. Cartmell gave me the results of the test, He said "I know you want to go back to work, but that is impossible." Deann at that time had to walk out of the room with me and Dr. Cartmell because she saw how upset I was in hearing that. I did not yell or lose it, but my face and body showed the anger I was feeling right then. If I had a 2 x 4 board I would have snapped it like a twig. I wanted to strike out at something because of the pain I showed hearing those words. It was so real that, it scared my doctor. I once again centered myself and would not allow myself to self destruct, because I always reflected on my girls and I knew I had to continue to fight and be here for them. I took a deep breath and said "What's next?"

Going into my 4th round of increasing chemotherapy was my only option. At this point being placed on chemo at 125% of my body weight, I began having mental difficulties that would not allow me to drive and pay bills, because I could not focus on things for any length of time needed to accomplish these ordinary tasks safely.

August 1994 I came home from church and while taking a nap on the couch, I woke up to find my chest wet. I realized something was wrong with the chemo pump. This resulted in the second, massive blood clot that was caused by another portachath rejected by my body. The chemotherapy at the time was the type that once outside of my veins caused my skin to turn black and peel off by simply brushing my hand across my chest.

I wanted to do something from my brother-in-law Phil who paid for our car insurance while off work. So I decided to stain his fence in his back yard. I started becoming dizzy when I would attempt to stand up from staining the bottom of the fence. My brother-in-law saw me holding on to the fence as I was ready to pass out. Rushing me to my doctor's office, they quickly said it appears to be another blood clot. I was immediately sent to Truxtun Radiology where my sister-in-law Liz worked, got me an ultra sound to show the severity of the blood clot. You know it is bad when the doctor performing the test asks "How are you feeling right now?" The blood clot was cutting off my left jugular vein, not allowing blood to pass, no image on screen. Right side showed blood as normal. Doctors sent me straight to ER down the street once again at Mercy Hospital Truxtun third, floor that was used from cancer patients. My mother and Sister Kim planned to fly out to be with Deann, me and our girls for vacation, but I was in the hospital once again for 14 days. While Mom spent her days with me, we talked about my grandfather who passed away when my Mom was in nursing school well before my birth. I told my Mom I always have had a sense that her father was a man of great size; she said no he was not. I then said he must have been man of great stature. She was deeply moved, my grandfather a great community person, who helped build a number of homes, which is why they name a road after him. Mom told me that a counselor in the Catholic Church, while talking about my situation with cancer, had asked my mom if she ask her father in heaven would watch over me. I felt a great sense of peace from that.

I was scheduled to give my testimony at Christ Cathedral the following Sunday after getting out of the hospital. I was practicing a song to sing while in the hospital one day, with a cassette player and headphones on and with my eyes closed. I became aware of someone in my room. I opened my eyes to see four or five nurses smiling and crying while they listened to me sing. It was during this Sunday evening service I said that Deann and I trusted God's perfect will, for my life and if that meant being another bass in His choir in heaven, then we would be happy with the sovereignty of God in our lives.

Now it is October of 1994, and Christ Cathedral was having its annual "Fun Fair" for the surrounding community. I was off my fourth round of chemotherapy for two weeks and was feeling much better. I wanted to give back to the church that did so much for my family. I enjoy physical work so I helped set up the fun fair, since I had no obligations taking my time. The blessing of being with everyone encouraged me for what was coming next.

I had the second Radioactive Isotope test in October showing the cancer growing at the base of my aorta. October 31st 1994, Dr. Cartmell a fellow Christian who prayed with me each time we met, said that now he had to stop, take a moment and breathe before entering the room I was in because of my deteriorating condition. With the results in his hand, he began to tell me, "Ray, we cannot talk about, remission or recovery, only about the quality of life left, which is very short." Without hesitation I said, "You too can be wrong." Dr. Cartmell once again smiled at me with amazement of my determination to live regardless of what the results said.

The following week, we were scheduled to go on our cruise with my parents. Three days prior to our departure, I was in the hospital now for what we believe was an ulcer due to the chemotherapy. Roselyn, who made our cruise possible, heard about me once again and came to the hospital to see me. Standing with my wife, she told me, if I do not get out of the hospital, she was taking my place on the cruise. I was released the day before our cruise. Deann and I picked my parents up at Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to join us on the cruise. From the moment we picked them up to the moment we dropped them off four days later, it was like God had frozen that time in space. No pain what so ever. We did everything I wanted without hesitation. My Mom and Deann had checked with the cruise company and made them aware of my condition, by asking the cruise line about their ability to handle medical emergencies to include air lifting me off the ship if needed. My plans were to update my parents on the most recent test results and tell them what Dr. Cartmell told us, talking with them if things progressed, what I wanted for Deann and our girls. This would give my parents the ability to talk my five siblings in New Jersey after the cruise to prepare them. As Deann and I dropped my parents off at LAX, the pain immediately came back full force.

During the entire time of the cancer, I had both my mother and mother-in-law having their prayer groups praying for my healing. It was a brand new Christian that God set in her heart to get me to the Benny Hinn Healing Crusade in Sacramento at the Arco Arena on November 16, 1994. Rhonda made the effort to call the ministry and asked if I could enter through the handicap entrance due to my condition. The ladies made all of the arrangements for the motel and crusade. From Bakersfield to Sacramento is a five hour car drive. Throughout the trip I was in pain and abdominal discomfort that were signs I would need to look for a hospital soon. My mother-in-law in the back seat of our car said the pain was due to all the cancer cells running around saying good-bye to each other because their time is over.

We made it to the motel and got to the lobby to wait for the shuttle to the arena. I was leaning on a pillar in the lobby and looked at Deann and said, "Tell the ladies they need to pray because my legs are about to give out." We got into the van and made our way to the arena. When we got there the line to get in was wrapped around the building. Thank God we were able to go through the handicap entrance. By the time we got in our seats at the back of the arena in the first level above the floor, it was about 3pm, that afternoon. I recognized some of the ministry staff members from other crusades on television. They were over burdened with people asking to pray for them. Being an usher myself I asked the closest usher to pray for me in the middle of the arena floor.

I went back to my seat that was on the end of the row so I could make the trip to the restroom throughout the day without having others to get up for me to do so. I have always called my Deann a baby magnet, and in my management career, I have always had a heart for single mothers, and without fail, God places an 18-year with a 5-week, old baby in front of us. The 18-year-old had enough faith to bring her baby with Down syndrome and two holes in her for a healing. It was about 8pm when the "Hallelujah Chorus" was being sung. When 19,500 people are in one accord, God's presence is in the midst of everyone. At this time the 5-week-old baby was sleeping on its grandmother's shoulder with its hand stretched out toward me.

I quietly held its hand and began to ask God, "Take my life, not this baby's life, for what is my life worth, if I am not willing to lay it down for another." At that moment, I felt the power of the Holy Spirit go through my right side where the cancer started to my right arm and hand to the baby's hand. I slowly released the baby's hand and thanked God for this moment.

The split second I released the baby's hand, the same usher that prayed for me five hours ago in the middle of the arena floor was tapping me on the shoulder. I was stunned and asked "How did you find me?" He asked how I was feeling; it took me a moment because I was so engrossed in the baby. I quickly explained that all my pain was gone and I had been going back and forth to the restroom all evening due to my condition of short bowel syndrome. This must have been an usher caption or some ministry staff member because he took my hand and walked me down the stairs to the floor of the arena and past all those standing in line to profess that God touched them tonight. I was brought to the doctors who talked to each person before going on platform with Pastor Benny Hinn. This was the last thing I had on my mind to happen. Deann and I went to the crusade wanting to receive my strength to go through chemotherapy round number 5. I was the third person on platform that night. I was standing in front of Pastor Benny, and he asked me to explain what had happened. I explained that a tumor exploded in my abdomen and, I was in pain all day. Pastor Benny then took his hand and placed it on my back and took his other hand and began pushing in. Repeatedly asking me if this hurt I answered "No." He took two steps back and said, "In the presence of God your cancer is dead."

The very next morning, Friday, I called my oncologist's office and left the message, "I am healed and want to run the tests again." We returned home Saturday afternoon to our daughters. When I would go on a business trip, I would ask my daughters what they wanted to bring them home. This trip Deann asked our girls separately, "What do you want us to bring you home?" They both answered "My daddy healed", and God answered their prayers. On the following Monday, Dr. Cartmell ran the blood work and he began laughing because he was astonished at the results and transformation of the previous blood work that showed a man dying of malnutrition and now the blood work of a healthy man. There was enough physical change in the results that enabled our medical insurance company to authorize an expensive radio-active test normally done only every 6 months, not within 45 days since the last test.

Strength and soundness immediately returned to me. The following Saturday I was at an Ambassador training for Promise Keepers, and as normal I was early to give a hand in setting up. The California State Representative of Promise Keepers, who was doing the training, was **Randy Gradishar** of the Denver Broncos "Orange Crush Defense", an NFL star that towered over me. He welcomed me and asked what God was doing in my life lately. I explained how God healed me last week of a stage 4 colon cancer while praying for a 5-week- old baby. Randy's jar hit the floor and praised God for His Power on my life. Now that is God For Ya to allow me to share God's testimony of healing me with a person of that stature just in a simple conversation as we are both there to serve others.

It is now December, and Christ Cathedral was planning on installing heavy wooden pews in their sanctuary to replace the chairs being used. The pews had been in storage for a number of years and needed to be moved, placed, and attached to the sanctuary floor. The church contacted the pew manufacturer to send an installer four days before Christmas. I volunteered to run the crews to prepare the sanctuary and pews for installation. The Saturday before, I called on a dear friend, Dean Barthelmes and his two sons to help me move the pews into the sanctuary. I worked with the men of Teen Challenge to clean, space, and position the pews ready for when the installer arrives. When the installer arrived he would normally finds pews stacked in a pile and would take a day to layout before installing. We are able to complete the installation before 3pm, and saved money because they layout saved the installer from having to alter any pews as was first estimated. Pastor Wasdin was amazed, yet scared as he watched me bench press pews that weighed over 200 pounds into place and lower them slowly over studs hammered into the floor to secure them. The installer's schedule before this day had him to arrive home the day after Christmas, but because we saved him over a day's work, he arrived home before Christmas.

The week following Christmas, I was demanding Dr. Cartmell to release me back to work. Dr. Cartmell said that normally any other patient would kept on full time disability for six months to recover from the amount of chemotherapy I was given. I was back to work without restriction January 2, 1995.

God gave me this phrase to describe how God used people to perform His miracle: "It was God's people who encouraged me, from moment to moment until I was at the right time and place, for God to perform His Miracle in my Life".

1994 Sacramento Arco Arena Healing Service with Pastor Benny Hinn pushing in on my abdomen

Page 1 of 3 Initial letters to Benny Hinn Ministry 1995

Page 2 of 3 Initial letters to Benny Hinn Ministry 1995

Page 3 of 3 Initial letters to Benny Hinn Ministry 1995

May 7th 1994 test results showing cancer at base of Aorta

Dr. Cartmell released Ray to work without restrictions January 2nd 1995

Dr. Cartmell stated that under normal conditions that a person that has undergone the amount and intensity of treatment I receive, he would keep a person on disability for an additional 6 months to recover.

Dr. Mark Newbrough states that "He now has the ability to stand as a testament to his faith and religion"

# Family

For me the most important values for me are God and Family. That I am, the Husband my wife wants and needs. That I am, the father my daughters need to me to be. I know that the God and Family are the basis of my life. I am an ordinary man who needs to daily call upon the Holy Spirit to help me to be the man God intended me to be.

Our marriage is built on strong mutual respect since our college days. I was raised in the Catholic Faith and Deann in the Baptist Faith. This was not a challenge for us because we have the same respect for God, just with a different view. God joined our faiths, and we became a family that believed in the promises and power of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

We have experienced many struggles of life before the cancer that enabled us to drawn closer to God and each other for our most difficult part of our lives, in all aspects of life. Deann was in every way the "Help Meet" God intended a wife to be in this situation, as she is able to make things happen in a moment's notice with me having 14 stays in the hospital in 2 1/2 years, four major abdominal surgeries, two massive blood clots, short bowel syndrome that was made worst by chemotherapy treatment and countless number testing's to watch me go through. She watched me lose control of my bodily functions and mental capacity that doctor's said has, resulted in many couples divorcing due to the stress. Instead Deann, continuously prayed for us and our girls to be strong in our faith for each other.

I would wake up each morning, finding Deann's hand on my chest understanding that she was praying for me and checking my breathing at the same time. Faith enables us to do what seems naturally impossible for us to bear in our lives. We honestly did not have many arguments because of our desire to have a drama-free home and our common focus on our girls to provide them the best we could. Deann never attempted to change the person I am, and I told her how much I appreciated her for that. We agreed that the best things for our girls was for Deann to stay home and build their foundation in life through our love for them, and through God's word, and through our lives lived in front of them.

This was extremely vital while going through the struggles of cancer for our family. Deann balanced taking care of me, our girls, and our household, ensuring our girls life was as normal as possible with school and church activities. My mother in-law, Myra was a blessing during the cancer by helping Deann and me, taking me to a lot of my medical testing and treatment appointments.

We could see the benefits of Deann being at home with our girl's actions outside of our house with others. Our girls had many friends who liked being at our house. Lindsey was the girl that pastors would put visitors with because Lindsey would make them feel welcome and instantly became their friend. In 1987, Deann and Lindsey was watching TBN, Trinity Broadcasting Network, fundraising show and Lindsey wanted to give her $1 a week allowance for TBN.

Deann helped her call it in, and Lindsey spoke to the staff. A few minutes later TBN Founder Jan Crouch talked about a young girl from Bakersfield Lindsey Scott, gave all she had $1.00 and a wealthy women gave $1 Million Dollars, and that God sees their heart in why they gave, as Jesus did with the Widow who gave all of her two mites. Ashley is the sweet girl that would ask anything respectfully that she wanted to know.

A number of our families would in their private way help Deann and I throughout the time of the cancer. My brother Bobby was the first to send money to help us. My sister Kim would work a second job and send us money at times. Kim and my twin Rodger came out to visit us, and while here Rodger the expert auto mechanic, fixed our cars without hesitation.

Scott Family 1993

My brother in-law Phil paid our auto insurance to ensure that it was one less thing we did not have to worry about. One day without notice Phil showed up to my Olive Garden Restaurant to speak to me. Phil said, "Ray it isn't over till the fat lady sings." My brother- law Dennis would watch me while the girls were out doing things for themselves. Dennis told me that several times he was concerned that I would die on him. So when I had fallen asleep on the couch, he would hold a mirror in my face to see if I was still if I was breathing. In 1994, when Promise Keepers Men's Ministry was at Dodger's Stadium, Dennis took me with him and ensured Deann he would take care of me. My brother Billy said that I reminded him of the movie "Rudy", the movie of the Notre Dame Football player that regardless of what the world threw at me, I would not give up. My sister Janice- JJ, would be a constant source of positive conversations when I needed it. My brother in-law David, who I worked with at Olive Garden brought food from the restaurant for the nurses that took care of me, and kept Olive Garden informed of my situation.

Uhles Family

God provided an amazing amount of love and support from our both families.

An early test of our girl's character would come in their middle school years where each of them separately and at different times had to testify in court on behalf of a friend in a case involving a sexually-based crime against their friend.

• • •

We could not have been prouder of our girls and knew their strength came from God and their upbringing to be able to be there for their friends.

Our girls worked with both Deann and me in the workplace earning respect from others, not because they were our children, but because they are strong reliable workers unto themselves. Lindsey and Ashley also volunteered to work with me in community events in our city. In 1999, I was volunteering with Benny Hinn Ministries at a Anaheim Healing Crusade with the testimonial team.

I was talking with people who just came off the platform, testifying that God healed them tonight. I was helping an elderly Baptist Minister who God healed of glaucoma that night; God used him to bless me. I was there with concerns about our girls with situations that concerned them. No one but God knew. This elderly minister after recording God's testimony turned to me and said to me, "God wanted me to tell you, your girls will be fine". With our girls in high school, preparing for college, this was great encouragement for our family's future.

Lindsey and Ashley did make us proud in their high school years. Lindsey continued to be our social butterfly with drama clubs, debate teams, and Military Army ROTC. Lindsey made the varsity debate team her freshman year and was promoted to Commanding Cadet for ROTC her senior year. One summer Lindsey wanted to work at a Girl Scout summer camp in the mountains of Frazier Park, about one hour away from Bakersfield. There she met a number of foreign female students on work visas that were also at the camp. Being their first time in the United States, they had never been to shopping malls in their life and did not have ability to travel anywhere, because of not having cars or drivers licenses. So Lindsey brought about 14 girls home one weekend. I came home at 2am Saturday morning after an event at the arena, and found the United Nations sleeping on our living room floor. So I get up early to make pancakes for all these girls before they went shopping. Deann and I were so blessed that our girls wanted to bring their friends to our home.

Our daughters who have blessed our lives and many others

Ashley was asked to be part of BCHS softball team by her friends, and with those friends, their senior year BCHS moved to the new campus that was being built. Ashley lead her friends to present to the BCHS Board to allow their class to be the final class to graduate from the old campus, not the new campus, knowing I was part of the board. The student body asked Ashley to give the opening prayer for graduation. Our girls honored God and us as parents with their actions that impacted the people God brought around them.

They both wanted to experience the world outside of the home, and both went on to higher education for what they wanted to do, out of state. Lindsey was accepted to America Music and Drama Academy on Broadway in New York. Lindsey flew to New York just two weeks after the terrorist attacks of 9-11. Lindsey visited ground zero of the World Trade Building, where I once was in 1979, in the Canadian Consulate. Lindsey realized that the Broadway lifestyle was not her. Lindsey met her husband in Times Square during Fleet Week 2001, when the navy ships from around the world would come into New York Harbor.

Lindsey's fairytale friends. Women she worked with in local drama productions in Nova Scotia Canada

Christmas Eve each year was special for me and my girls because we would spend the day together shopping for their Mom, and we would go out to dinner, just me and my girls. But in 2002 Lindsey's Matthew Moore, a Canadian Sailor flew into Bakersfield to meet us before marrying our daughter. Matthew joined us for the day. I promised our girls that I would talk to your future husbands about their personal relationship with Jesus, before I would allow them to marry. We were at Starbucks where Matt and I were sitting outside so Matt could smoke and Lindsey and Ashley went in to get our coffees. Matt turned to me and asked about church in my life, which was a perfect innovation for me to ask Matt about his personal relationship with Jesus. At that very moment, Lindsey walked out with our coffees, heard me asked Matt to share with me his personal relation with Jesus. Lindsey turned right around and walked back into Starbucks to scream at her sister, "Do you know what dad is doing?" Ashley was laughing and said, "Dad promised he would do that. Lindsey replied, "Yeah, but the first time he meets Matt?" Matthew took our daughter to Nova Scotia, Canada, to use her talents in local community theater and film industry, while having our first three grandchildren. Deann said this is God's Sense of Humor because God took me from my family in New Jersey, on the east coast to here in California on the west coast, so our oldest child is even farther away then I was from my family.

Ashley went to Grand Canyon University in Arizona, a Christian University to get her Bachelor's Degree in Business after her father. Ashley realized she wanted to go into Nursing as her Grandmother Scott did. As part of her admittance to Nursing School, Ashley wrote a paper why she wanted to be a nurse. Ashley entitled it "Influences", sharing how the nurses impacted her thought their care of me and our family.

Ashley went on two ministry mission trips to Ireland and Argentina and one medical mission trip to the Congo in Africa, as the advanced team to prepare the doctors for what is needed for their time in the villages.

Ashley in Haiti with fellow volunteers

Ashley reacquainted with her future husband Ryan as adult leaders for their own church youth groups at Acquire the Fire, Christian Youth Conference in San Francisco, California, in April Easter Break of 2007. Ryan tracked me down one Saturday to ask me for Ashley's hand in marriage before he proposed to her.

Deann & Ray taking a moment before Ashley's wedding

They married on July 5, 2008 and allowed me to perform their first communion together as part of their wedding. They spent their honeymoon in Argentina as part of a mission's trip. This was Ryan's first airplane trip of his life and first mission's trip. Ryan has studied to be a minister, and one of my favorite sermons of his is "Super Pumped."

• • •

After God and Deann, my mother was the greatest gift to me during my time with cancer. I know her belief in God and experience in nursing gave her the ability to help me live and make medical decisions through the cancer, as Mom knew as a cancer survivor herself. As the cancer continued to deteriorate her son, Mom never allowed me to hear her fear, but encouraged me with a mother's love by the strength that in my experience can only come from God.

I have three songs that describe my relationships with the three most important women in my life. Our wedding song is "Never Going to Let You Go." Lindsey is "Butterfly Kisses" because she is my special Gift from God, and Ashley is "All American Girl" because she is my Mini Me. During Lindsey's winter break from AMDA on Broadway in 2001, we as a family sang the song "Household of Faith", at Christ Cathedral Sunday morning. The song ministers about the storms of life and how the family weathers each one together. It was immensely difficult to not be emotional watching the women who loved me through the worst storm in our lives while singing about our family. As a husband and father there is very little that compares to people telling you how wonderful and a blessing your wife and daughters are to others.

# God's Favor My Friends

### Friends are a way that God loved me

I am known as a serious individual, who takes friendship seriously. Friendships created with trust and loyalty through the difficult times in one's life make celebrating the good times more personal. God has provided me with great friends before, during and after the cancer that were of great support for me and my family, as well as bringing me several exceptional friends to enhance what God's will has been since the cancer, what I like to call "The Second Half of the Miracle".

Jeanette Herring is a dear friend and fellow licensed minister who from the beginning of our relationship in 1988 is a close friend to my wife Deann and I through the cancer and beyond. She came to my hospital room with friends during times when we were told I should not make it through the week. One evening when I was heavily medicated, Jeanette said I went on a sermon about my love and marriage with Deann. Deann and I asked Jeanette to be our girl's Godmother.

Jeanette Richardson with me and my grandson Eli in 2014 who is also our daughter's God Mother

In 1996, Jeanette became the Executive Director for Bakersfield Centennial Celebration where she was responsible for over 72 events in two years and raised funds for the creation of Bakersfield Centennial Plaza in the heart of downtown Bakersfield. Jeanette relied on my food management experience to help her with events and relied on our common faith to be part of the Spiritual Heritage Committee and Grand Opening Committee for the Centennial Celebration. This my first experience with city government and officials.

Jeanette understood my heart in most things. Our common passion in Honoring God and Blessing His Children in the community was built on trust with each other and God's Will. As part of the Spiritual Foundation Committee, the Bakersfield Centennial Gospel Night was created. A night where the church choirs of Bakersfield ministered through music only at no cost to participants and guests. Each year for eight years, the attendance of the event grew to the size where we had to rent the civic center and it holds the record largest attendance for a non-ticketed event to date. It was at this event that Jeanette introduced me to David Voss, the CEO of Jesus Shack of Bakersfield, a Christian organization that's vision is "Raising a Generation to Reach this Generation" with focus on Christian Concerts, Street Teams and Community Events. In 1998, Jeanette took the position of Bakersfield Christian High School Development Director responsible for taking a small Christian high school to a multimillion dollar project which required acquiring land, a capital campaign to raise the funds needed while enhancing the school board members. Jeanette asked if I would serve on the school board which God gave me the opportunity to use my experience with opening food service units to designing the food service for the campus to be multipurpose from lunches to sporting events. The seven years I served on the Executive Board for the school gave me the experience to serve on many boards to come. Once again Jeanette in 2009 was now Executive Director of the Kern Arts Council and now that I have been with Price Disposal for eight years Jeannette and I developed the first Recycled Material Arts Festival in the State of California. It was at this time that I truly realized that when one effort's go to help others and people trust in the vision and purpose of the event, that people will give to make that event happen. The Arvin Green Arts Festival was the event that set me on the path today that I serve God and Bless His Children on a state and national levels.

Jeanette's 2002 reference letter for me to in become a licensed minister

My friendship with Jim Fontana began in 1989 while working for McDonald's Restaurant in Bakersfield California. A fellow serviceman from the Air Force, Jim Fontana is a person God gave me that He knew could reinforce and teach me things I needed as in, keeping an organizational monthly task list to ensure operational success in order to grow as manager and person. Area Management could see the team we were, so they gave Jim and me the toughest stores to operate and expected to turn around as Area Supervisor and Unit Manager.

Trouble shooting required understanding how to handle people and issues successfully. Because of our respect for each other's work ethics, becoming close friends outside of work was natural. Both of us appreciated time off watching World Wrestling Federation Events and eating pizza with our wives and my girls. Jim became "Godfather" for our girls in a true Italian sense. Even though life took Jim to Phoenix, Arizona, he would make trips back to Bakersfield in 1993 during the cancer to check on me.

One day during an eight hour chemotherapy session I woke up to find Jim sitting next to me quietly until I realized he was there. Jim always reached out to Deann to talk with her about me and check on her and our girls. Jim and I would talk about faith, family and friends with ease because of our trust of each other. It did not matter where in the country we were, if there was an opportunity to be there for each other, we were. One summer, I was in New Jersey visiting my family and Jim was in New Jersey visiting his mother in the hospital. I took the day to be with Jim and his mom at the hospital. Jim had just finished his degree at Arizona State University and wanted to share his degree with his mom. When our daughter Ashley went to college in 2004 to Phoenix, Arizona, Godfather Jim was there to assure me and Ashley she would be cared for. Throughout our careers, we always shared and trusted our insights with each because we knew that they were pure of heart for each other. For me, a true friend does not have to have all the right words because their presence is what needed. When Jim's dad passed away, I drove to Phoenix just to be there amidst all the emotions of the weekend for Jim. Jim did not need me to say anything, but just to be there for him and listen knowing I cared as we have done for each other throughout the years as we continue to do today.

Jim's 2018 Facebook Post about KGET Channel 17 News Article for Relay for Life

In 1992, Lynn Neufield, a nurse and fellow choir member at Kern Christian Center was inspired by God to help us pay for my medication needed to help me through the chemotherapy. Just as my mother is a nurse, Lynn was a great source of support to discuss medical issues who lived with us in Bakersfield. When I asked Lynn why she wrote this, she said, "I feel God places certain people in our lives and he did that with you. I knew you were a man of God after his own heart. At that time of my life I knew you needed help and it so blessed me to be used of God. I had an instant feeling of closeness with you and felt like I had another son. What God has done in your life is amazing to me. Your healing was a start of your life for Christ, and His will shines through. I thank God for you being a part of my life Love Ya"

In 1992, I met Della Equipilag, a fellow general manager for Olive Garden. She has been a true friend that enabled me to succeed, by being direct with me for my benefit. Della and I were very much alike, so when she was promoted to Area Supervisor for Olive Garden, I was under her oversight in midst of the worst of the cancer. I realized in the corporate way of life, the people we are directly responsible to have the greatest effect on our lives. Della was thrilled to get the phone call from me that I was released to come back to work for on January 1, 1995. I told her I would take on anything she needed. Della used my talents for trouble shooting to help her with a number of Los Angeles restaurants. In 1997, Della was working for Dick Clark American Bandstand Grill, a great family restaurant and dance club located in Columbus, Ohio, which was Dick Clark's personal project. Della did not hesitate to accept my offer to work with her again and be her kitchen manager. Della always shared her insight and experience with me to make me a better all-around manager. The ability to explain and walk people through your thought processes to share with them your vision and expectations are vital for successful management. We continue to share insight for each other's careers and make time to visit with each other.

Della in one of the Los Angeles restaurants she managed

In June of 1993, I began to be treated by Dr. Allan Cartmell of CBCC Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center. A man who prayed with me every time we met, Dr. Cartmell, would initiate the prayer. Our first meeting, I asked him a year into the cancer, "What his best educated guess you have for my situation?" The hospital says 1 1/2 at outmost. Dr. Cartmell said it would most likely be less. Dr. Cartmell, regardless of the situation, was always positive, always providing prayer to encourage me. Dr. Cartmell was with me at my hardest times hearing that the cancer has returned three times. Dr. Cartmell said I was at the point where he had to take a deep breath before entering my exam room because I continued to rapidly decline especially in 1994, when he said I could have four times due to complications of the chemotherapy treatments. Our appointment at the end of October 1994 when we received the results of the second radioactive isotope test showing the cancer at the base of my aorta. Dr. Cartmell said, "We cannot talk about recovery, or remission only about the quality of life you have left, which is short. If you make it to Christmas, it will be another miracle for you this year". I looked at Dr. Cartmell, I very simply said "You too can be wrong".

Dr. Cartmell smiled and shook his head in amazement of my determination not to give up. The morning after God healed me on Thursday, November 17, 1994, I left a message for him at his office, saying I was healed and wanted to run the blood work again on Monday when I return from Sacramento. Saturday afternoon, Dr. Cartmell called me at home to check on me. Dr. Cartmell was very cautious until we ran the blood work at CBCC lab. Dr. Cartmell began laughing as the blood work showed a healthy man's blood work; when the week before the blood work show a man dying of malnutrition. Dr Cartmell said it is super blood.

Dr. Cartmell said, "You have one of two choices to make, believe that God healed you and live, or go back on chemo round number 5 that we have planned for you." I returned to work on January 2, 1995, without restrictions. These past 26 years I see Dr. Cartmell every six months to talk about life, family and grandchildren now. Dr Cartmell once wrote me a personal note that said "Ray, you are God's Friend, Friend to Man, My Friend" Dr. Cartmell my friend and gift from God. My friend who was willing, as a physician to speak on television, about God's miracle in my life, Amen.

• • •

In January 1994, Deann and I were encouraged to attend Christ Cathedral who has an amazing Love of God. We were so physically and mentally tired going into the roughest year to come. Senior Pastor Clyde Wasdin ensured that the church was a constant source of prayer and support for me, Deann and our girls through the church's family groups, Koinia. Out of Christ Cathedral came the women's group who prayed for my healing and God used to bring me to Benny Hinn Ministries. Dean (DINO) Barthelmes and sons DJ and Eric to help me outfit the church with pews for Christmas service after God's healing me in 1994. Pastor and Elder Max Van Dyke was first person in my hospital room to ensure Deann and that our girls were taken care of. Max said if were any other service other than Marines, with that steadfast mindset of Bulldog Faith, I do not know if you would have been able last without it. God would continue used Pastor Clyde Wasdin and Elder Pastor Max in my life to today.

Pastor Benny Hinn's 2000 book "This is your Day for a Miracle"

Sue Langford and I first meet in 1996, while filming one of the first testimonials for Benny Hinn Ministries of God's miracle of healing me. At this time, I was the General Manager for Olive Garden in Oxnard, California. Sue has been a constant friend and Godly advisor since our first meeting.

One of the moments I appreciated the most with Sue was in 1998 Atlanta, Georgia, during a Benny Hinn healing crusade which Sue on behalf of the ministry requested me to give God's testimony to encourage other to seek God for their healing .

Upon arriving at the arena of the crusade I met with Sue and as one can understand, the emotional gratefulness I would naturally have for the ministry, because of the healing I received at the Sacramento Crusade in 1994, I stated that I would do almost anything the ministry would request. Sue without hesitation said to me "If you are not here for Jesus, then you do not need to be here" That was the greatest reality check for me which has centered me on all the things I have done to Honor God and Bless His children. We continued to be friends and work on items such as Benny Hinn Ministry book, "Today is Your Day for a Miracle", the ExtraordinaryGod.com website detailing God's Miracle and what God has enable me to do since God's healing me. In 2016, while I was attending Keep America Beautiful nation conference in Orlando, Florida, I was able to share dinner one night with Sue and, Pastors David and Cheryl Palmquist, it was just friends who never let time and space let interrupt their relationships. When I was at Orlando Airport waiting for my plane to leave to California, I saw Pastor Benny Hinn at an electronic stand. I have not been with Pastor Benny in 15 years. I got up from my set and went over to speak to his staff, I asked his staff if this was Pastor Benny, and immediately he recognized my voice and embraced me. We quickly talked about why we were both here in Orlando and then we committed to meeting after we both returned to California. Pastor Benny's staff invited Deann and I to speak on his televised Good Friday Service where both Deann and I were asked to share God's testimony once again. Talk about God's Perfect Timing.

In 1997, I met Alan Larsen the Board Chairman of Bakersfield Christian High School, who was, introduced to me, by our mutual friend Jeannette Herring. The evening before the ground breaking celebration of the Stockdale campus Alan had set up a trailer to be security and to have time alone with God. I joined Alan that night there in the middle of the undeveloped open property that became Bakersfield Christian High School. God moved Alan to help financially support my daughter Ashley attend BCHS while I was on the board for BCHS. Alan and I both had the same vision for BCHS which was focused on preparing students for college and life with a Christian- based education.

God brought a generous local businessman that believed he was meant to be seed money for Christian Education, Bill Bolthouse, owner of Bolthouse Farms, and a carrot farmer and worldwide product producer. Bill shared and provided strong business practices that befitted the school during the construction of the school and for years to come.

Alan allowed me to chair the Community Service Committee and CEO Search Committees due to my event and management career. Alan during CEO search interviews would describe me as a board member "that when I prayed, it was as if I was calling God himself down into our presence, just pure, simple and direct." Alan trusted me to design and direct construction the food service kitchen for the campus that had the ability to serve student lunches, concession stand for sporting events and catering needs, due to my 14 years in the food industry of construction and opening new locations, as well as the planning and purchasing equipment for trash and recycling needs of the campus. The Price Family had three grandchildren attend Bakersfield Christian High School. They supported the development and the construction of the new campus. BCHS built a community recycling drop off center that created funds for the student body through the sale of recyclables. Kern County Waste Management provided all promotion of location as part of their community educational outreach, which advertised the school throughout the year at no charge. We served together on the board for seven years until 2005 until the death of the general manager for Price Disposal, when the Price family requested that I release all outside activities to take on increase responsibilities for my position with the company. By this time Alan had become my one of my closest friend in every aspect. We continue today to have early morning breakfast about every two weeks to talk about every aspect of our lives. Our conversations are always centered on God in our lives. My daughter's knew of our strong relationship and used it to surprise me for my 50th birthday at my favorite restaurant, a table for of my closest friends as my daughters knew would please me.

In 2012, Jim, Alan and I had the opportunity to have breakfast During our conversation, both Jim and Alan encouraged me to write about God's miracles in my life to encourage others.

In 2010, God's word once again began to happen by His grace and favor, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much" The year the Greater Bakersfield Green Expo began I meet Christian Flowers, executive director of Keep California Beautiful and Cecile Carson affiliate director of Keep America Beautiful. God used these two ladies whose passion is our youth and environmental education to enable me to go from small City of Arvin, California to Sacramento, California and become the State Leader and Board President of Keep California Beautiful in three years time. Christine asked me to help her with the Keep California Beautiful Statewide K-12 School Recycling Competition.

2015 California Resources Recovery Association Conference with Christine Flowers and Cecile Carson receiving an award for Year's Outstanding Recycling Event: Keep California Beautiful K-12 Schools Recycling Challenge

In 2016, the State of California had the most schools entered in the National Recycle Bowl, School Recycling Competition for Keep America Beautiful.

In 2013, with becoming the State Leader for California in Keep America Beautiful organization Cecile Carson assisted me in participating with National Awards Committee, to enhance the award selection process, awards programs at national conference and design of the awards them self. My intent was to bring the awards to the prominence a national award similar to the Emmys that I was privileged to work while I was with Aramark Sports and Entertainment in 2000. This was accomplished in 2016, at the Orlando Florida National Conference by CEO and President Jennifer Jehn.

Two things that I have experienced with community programs are First: You can go faster alone, but you can go further together. Second: When are doing for others, people see your heart and pure intent, which is why my focus in life is to Honor God & Bless His Childern.

The phrase God gave me to explain His Miracle in my Life continues to explain my life: "It is God's people, like you who encourage me from Moment to Moment, Until I am at the Right Place and Time, for God to perform His Miracle Amen!!!

# Career & Community

Autonomy

Independence or freedom: as of the will or one's actions, the autonomy of the individual.

In my career, I have always been independent in my Management Practices, and I especially have had Moral Independence in my personal relationship with Christ.

I have had a very full management career with experiences and people that I have learned from both. I am an ordinary person with a commitment to working hard to Honor God and Bless His Children. In my management career, I truly enjoy creating the atmosphere and opportunity for others to succeed and, managing people from their strengths. I have always used my talents and experiences gained in my career for community events.

Once I completed my enlistment in the Maine Corps in November 1987, I wanted to try something different in management career. I was given an opportunity with Metropolitan Life Insurance as a sales representative. I learned many marketing skills but was not a good sale closer. At regional training conference, I was known as the person who did everything I was requested to do, but things just did not happen.

learned many marketing skills but was not a good sale closer. At regional training conference, I was known as the person who did everything I was requested to do, but things just did not happen. I went back to my strength of talking with business professionals and began selling employee benefit programs.

Just before leaving the Marine Corps, I had the opportunity to speak with the commanding officer for the Marine Corps Exchange System telling him of my choice to going into insurance industry. He said to call him once I was secure with what I was doing. I took the Colonel at his word and called him at his office in Quantico, Virginia, Headquarters for the Marine Corps. He accepted my call, and I explained the employee benefit program, and He arranged a meeting for me in San Diego with the head of Human Relations for the Exchange System with over 10,000 employees. The only reason this happened so quickly is because of the favor I had with the Colonel. I brought a Vice President of Metropolitan Life with me to the meeting. The meeting, in his words was as promising as any he has had in his 25-year career. Then Congress passed the "Gramm Rudman Balanced Budget Act" which stopped any new changes for the military.

In the last quarter of the year, I validated enough sales to keep my salary. I then turned in my resignation knowing I am a manger, not a sales person. In January of 1989, I returned to a management position with McDonald's Restaurant in Bakersfield as part of the Los Angeles Area.

It was then that I met first lifelong friend Jim Fontana at the time as the IT Operations Specialist for the Bakersfield area stores. Jim is a fellow veteran who recognized my military bearing or presence since the first time we met. I was fast tracked through my training due to my serious nature and willingness to do what was needed to be done. I was promoted to Store Manager for the Buttonwillow location within 6 months.

Jim and I delivered cases of McDonald's Cookies for Desert Shield care packages, and I saw and felt the community appreciation for a simple gesture for others.

In 1989 I completed my duties of being a "Active Reservist for US Marine Corps" while working for McDonalds. Not being called back to Active Duty I wanted to do support our Men & Women in the armed services, McDonalds Corporation did that willingly.

Buttonwillow Restaurant was a highway location that had its volume from Thanksgiving Weekend to January 2, tripled for that time. It at this time a few of my closing staff asked me to explain the reputation I had with other McDonald's Restaurants in Bakersfield Area as "Being a Big Christian" because of my work in trouble-shooting other McDonalds. I said "If you want to know me, listen to me when I talk with you and more importantly, listen to me when I am talking with someone else, which you will see my true character."

I challenged the area operational manager to allow me to open the restaurant for 24 hours for Thanksgiving Eve which had never been done in the Los Angeles Region before.

I experienced at this time that favor because of my work efforts and results, so when I requested something for others in the community, it was taken in consideration. The Buttonwillow McDonalds had a vacated Minimart next to it. McDonald's Corporation bought the property to turn it into truck parking, just off the freeway and eliminating the possibility for another restaurant being built there. At the time, I was part of the men's ministry at Kern Christian Center and asked McDonalds Corporation to allow the church to strip the building of all useable items for the church, before demoing the building. After providing the required insurance policies covering liabilities for McDonald's, the church was allowed to have one day to recover what it could. Forty Five men came out to help with the project which outfitted the church with a commercial kitchen and much more. That just reinforced my faith in how God can do more through our daily efforts at work that will bless others.

### My Management Foundation

"Faith Without Works Is Dead"  
18 **But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."**

James 2:18

As I continued my management career with Olive Garden, which started in December 1991 as a manger in training, my management abilities were put to the test several times.

The first month I was here, the Regional Manager Greg MaKizac was in the restaurant to address issues happening. Being a new manager, he asked me my insight with what I have observed in the operation. I said, "Sir, it can all be attributed to management inconsistency." Greg thanked me for my directness.

Bill Homles, the Area Supervisor at the time said, I was one of his best hires because of my conservative thought process I had shared during my interviews with him. The restaurant had a drastic change over in management, which Olive Garden brought temporary General Managers from Los Angeles until a one of the five managers-in-training was selected for the position. Charlie Candelas held a discussion with all five mangers and talked in generalities that at this time none of us were ready to be General Manager. After the meeting, I asked to talk with Charlie privately and explained that I did not appreciate being talked to as a group in generalities. I would appreciate that he talked to me directly about what he expect of me.

Shortly after that, I discovered that one of the temporary General Managers was involved in cash manipulation of the restaurants sales. Charlie said he could not come up to Bakersfield from Los Angeles and that I was to address the issue with that manger, collect the documentation needed, and he would be in the restaurant in two weeks. To say that was a tense two weeks of work is an understatement.

Charlie said he knew when I had that private discussion with him, he know who would be the general manger. I was promoted in May of 1992 and diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer on June 7, 1992. God gave me the strength to continue to work at Olive Garden Restaurant while going through five weeks of radiation, three abdominal surgeries, and increasing chemotherapy. At this time, Olive Garden was owned and operated by General Mills Corporation. General Mills employee benefits were of great aid to me and my family during the cancer. At the beginning of my time with Olive Garden, there were issues with guest relations and employee relations. In September of 1992, I started doing Spaghetti Dinners as fundraisers for schools at no cost to the school. The creation of a mobile pizza oven for breadsticks and pasta cooker was intended for the community event, but this also was a great project to increase morale for the restaurant's staff.

With increased sales due to community outreach and increased staff morale, the restaurant was recognized in the top 10 of over 400 restaurants with the most improved profit in a year's time.

One of the greatest blessings for me at this time was the opportunity to encourage my employees when one of their family members were going through serious medical issues, as I could truly relate and understand what they were going through. The majority of my staff were, either single moms or college students. As a father I acknowledged everyone that their studies were a priority and I scheduled around their needs. God gave me a heart for the passion of single moms working to provide for their children my lunch staff was mostly single moms so they could be home at night for their children. When one's staff knows you care for them, they go beyond what is expected or required.

In 1993, I attended an Olive Garden General Manager's Training in Orlando, Florida, where we were asked to share our management strengths on our name plate in front of us on the table were seated at. I drew a cross on each side of my name, when asked to describe the reason behind our drawings. I said my management's foundation is God in my life. The senior vice president said he knows of my medical condition and of the results the restaurant has experienced, and he was personal pleased with my response. In February of 1994, after my fourth abdominal surgery and being placed on a chemotherapy pump 24/7, I was placed on federal social security disability because I was listed as terminal. Della Equipalag continued to reach out to me during my absence and visited me when in the hospital. Regional Manager Greg McKasic told Della to do whatever was possible for me and my family that could be done during my medical leave of absence. Once again God's Favor showed through others because of my work ethic.

Della was the first person at Olive Garden that I contacted the Saturday November 19, 1994 and informed that, I would be back soon. It was January 2, 1995 that I was given a full release from Dr. Cartmell, my oncologist, to return to work without restrictions. I returned to work as a manager at Olive Garden Restaurant once again with Della as my area director. Della is proof that in corporate life, it is the person to whom you are directly responsible who, that can make the difference in your career, especially in situations such as, terminal cancer. Without hesitation Della placed me in one of her restaurants. I told Della that I would gladly transfer to any store in Southern California that she needed me to work. Within months, I was given the position as general manager once again.

In late 1995, Charlie and Della made a move to Dick Clark American Bandstand Grill in Cincinnati Ohio. Being close friends and knowing that Della was restricted to ask me to work with her, I asked her, and she made arrangements to move our family out to Ohio.

The trip to Cincinnati was during the hardest and coldest winter in a decade. My California-born and raised girls had never experienced anything like it. My time with Dick Clark's restaurant gave me new experiences with kitchen management and catering. Being the kitchen manager, I had the pleasure of preparing new menu items for Dick Clark and his wife Kari and personally serving them. Dick Clark was as gracious as one could be, taking the time to thank every employee, from the hostess to the dishwashers in his restaurant. Dick asked if I would sit with his wife and keep her company as he dealt with the media. Kari was as gracious, and we talked as if she were a caring next door neighbor.

My time with Dick Clark was only six months and we returned to Bakersfield on faith that God would take care of us. I contacted Bakersfield Christian High School to see if they were in need of a bus driver and janitor. I held a Class A commercial license with passenger endorsement due to my experience in the special operations unit in the Marine Corps.

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

God had been preparing something for me through our Pastor Clyde Wasdin from Christ Cathedral. Pastor Wasdin had been talking with Konny Boyd who had purchased Rio Bravo Tennis Resort and had plans to reopen the resort and needed a person to operate the Food & Beverage operations. I drove into Bakersfield and met with Pastor Wasdin, the next day and Konny Boyd by the end of the week. This was my first family business operation to experience. I was challenged with designing menus for Clubroom, Fine Dining, Breakfast and Brunch as well as hiring and training employees to open in three week's time. At this time, I truly appreciated the variety of experiences God provided for me to enable me to be successful for the Boyd Family and the guests of the resort.

It was here that I experience running two restaurants, catering for weddings, tennis tournaments, community events, Sunday brunch, and room service out of one kitchen being prepared and served the same day. It was during this time that I wrote "BullDog Faith," how God used my Marine Corps mindset to live through the cancer until it was at the right place and right time for God to Heal me.

Konny Boyd who had a similar desire to use the resort for community activities is why Rio Bravo Resort is where God started the Bakersfield Centennial Gospel Night in 1996. An event that went on for eight years with the pure intent of letting the Music Minister with 12 local church choirs performing their weekly Praise & Worship for four hours. With a mission statement of Matthew 5:8: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."From Jesus Sermon on the Mount "The Beatitudes" was an event that continued to grow in number of guests, large enough that it moved from Rio Bravo Resort to Centennial Plaza in the Heart of Bakersfield.

In 1997, because of my experience in opening restaurants, a dear friend who I worked with back in my McDonald's days, 1988 to 1990, Gladys Harmon asked if would consider being part of a new restaurant franchise opening here in Bakersfield, "On the Border Mexican Café." During the interview process, I was offered the position with the possibility of becoming their training manager. With the personal relationships God had built through the Gospel night, I was able to help the ownership with the Grand Opening of this restaurant and personally invited Mayor Bob Price who attended the Gospel Night. At this time my dear friend Jeanette, was the Executive Director of the city's Centennial Celebration who asked me to be in charge of the food vendors, as part of the committee for the grand opening. This was a three day event for the Grand Opening of the Centennial Plaza in the heart of Bakersfield which built by funding of the people and companies of Bakersfield. The owners of On the Border Mexican Café allowed me to conduct meetings for vendors at the restaurant and be the key restaurant in the event.

For me the two most important moments in my time with On the Boarder Mexican Café was first when Daniel one of our dishwashers, who was part of the restaurants opening crew, suddenly became ill and quickly passed away of cancer. I was able to pray with him and his family at the hospital, and the store allowed a charitable drive with the employees to raise money to help the family. Second was at a time one of our line cooks was having a hard time with life, and he asked me why I was different than all the other managers. I simply shared my personal relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit that makes me the person I am today. I asked Jose if he would like to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior so he can have that personal relationship to live his life as Jesus did. Jose said yes while we were in the dumpster area in back of the restaurant. One night as I was the closing manager for the restaurant, I experienced the first of many times I would pass a kidney stone. I could not leave the location because I was the manager responsible for the employees and operation. I experienced all the issues with passing a kidney stone, and I had to believe and trust God to do something for me to enable me work through the pain.

I asked God to crush the kidney stone and could visualize God crush that stone between His fingers. I immediately felt the pain leave and was able to complete the shift. The next morning, I went to Kaiser Permanente urgent care to get checked out and was requested to do a urinalysis test, which showed the collection was full of crystals. This would not be the last kidney stone passed while at work.

In 1998, the Bakersfield Centennial Garden Arena was designed and built as key part of the Centennial Celebration being built with the Centennial Plaza as its entrance. Ogden Entertainment opened the Food Services, and I was asked to help the staff with setting up their local vendors. In 1999 I met with the Regional Operations Director Denny Walsh to discuss an opportunity to be part of the Food Service Management for the arena. Denny took the opportunity to watch me at On the Border Mexican Café while running the dinner shift the night before our interview. The next day I recognized him from the night before. This opportunity was the next step in my management career to strengthen my experience and understanding of events on a professional level. I learned that preparation gives you the ability to adjust for the unexpected challenges that comes with events.

I was overjoyed to be a part of an entity that brought professional events as Los Angeles Lakers, a wide range of concerts, and WWE World Wrestling Entertainment in the Heart of Bakersfield created an indoor 10,000 seat venues that enabled the people of Bakersfield to come together for civic events like the 9-11 city-wide remembrance. To encourage the staff of the Food & Beverage department I put the following phrase on the walk-in refrigeration door which all employees saw walking into the Food & Beverage Department, "We run the Best Events in Bakersfield" to daily encourage and set the expectation for everyone working in the arena. It was during a WWE event that I pass a another kidney stone while working the concourse, taking care of concession stands and merchandise stands needs.

The office manager of Food &Beverage Department, Betsy Chavez, a fellow Christian and Cancer Survivor, became good friends with me, which I could talk with her about her time in going through cancer. Once again, God allowed me to encourage someone with God's testimony in my life and talk about how our experiences affect family, friends and work.

The arena was the greatest challenge and learning opportunity for Multitasking in preparation of events. From staff scheduling, supplies ordering, different requests of each performers, merchandise inventories and set ups for each event. There have been many moments that were standout during my work with the arena that I praised God for His Faithfulness; but while working at the August 2000 Grand Opening of the NFL Cincinnati Bengal Stadium, God allowed me to experience Him and His Word as I have not experienced before. I was sent out to open the concession stands and club seat vendor's rooms prior to the opening game. We were asked to do this while construction was being finished. This stadium was seven levels high with 100 concession and potable stands to be equipped and stocked just two weeks prior to first game. This stadium really worked with the community by allowing nonprofit groups to operate the concession and portable stands on a commission basis and utilized the Cincinnati Culinary Arts School to work in the suite kitchens. It took over 2,000 people just to operate food & beverage for the stadium. The night before the Grand Opening Sold-Out Game, I was still at the stadium after 12pm, where I went up to the highest point in the stadium to pray. As the management staff, we experienced a number of challenges, and I was seeking God's Favor for all of us involved. At the highest seat in the stadium I remembered when I could see the lights of the city around us and two field workers on the football field. I could have yelled the name of Jesus to get the attention of the field workers, but God reminded me that "whether in a shouted voice or whispered tone, all I have to say is Jesus." So I quietly said "Jesus" repeatedly as I straightened out my hand to every portion of the stadium asking for God's Favor for the Grand Opening. The next morning, we arrived at the stadium to ensure of the non-profit groups were prepared for the day. Everything went beyond our expectations to included praises from the local newspaper for the services of the food service groups at the stadium. The financial goal was $750,000 for food and beverage department that day's result was $850,000.

The next morning, Sunday after the game, all the managers of food and beverage were required to meet with the Vice President of Aramark Sports and Entertainment to discuss the grand opening. The managers could not describe what happened the day before easily. When I was asked to comment, I said what we had experienced I said it was nothing short of a miracle, based upon the challenges we experienced earlier this week. I explained it was because I experienced everyone helping each other for the success of the event. A number of the fellow managers stated that my explanation was the truth, but could not find the words to explain it. The General Manager of Food & Beverage requested that I stay an additional three weeks to help with the next two events, but I was not allowed to due to events scheduled back in Bakersfield Arena. The week I returned home is when the book "This is Your Day for a Miracle" which contented God's Testimony of Healing me, Chapter 7 "An Unexpected Touch" was sent to me.

I mailed a copy of the book to the managers of the Cincinnati Stadium to answer their questions regarding my work ethic and desire to encourage others.

When I returned the arena in Bakersfield a local church minister challenged the arena that we did not hire one of their congregants due to religious discrimination. The Arena staff knowing I am a Licensed Minister asked me to meet with the local pastor and his congregant to discuss their concerns. I provided the pastor with my licensed minister ID I use for hospital and prison visits, which brought an ease from the start of the conversation. I addressed their concerns of dress code for all employees being consistent and a safety concern for the employees. They were satisfied with our conversation and the arena's concern for all employees. At this time, I was requested to oversee the Suite Servers, Arena Kitchen and Clubroom services which had some challenges to resolve with suite owners. I learned in my restaurant experience that if you give people what they request, they will be willing to pay for it, explaining that this is an exception to the menu. In 2000, the Kiss Concert was one of the largest concerts for attendance and merchandise for the arena in its history. The event ended at 11pm, and continued to sell merchandise until 1am. I was scheduled to tape a television healing special for TBN Trinity Broadcasting Network in their studios in Costa Mesa the next morning.

2000 Trinity Broadcasting Network Healing Special Television Program, hosted by Efrem Zimbalist Jr. TBN used God's Testimony of healing me as the first testimony for this program @ ExtraordinaryGod.com/Video/Miracle Story

In 2000 CBCC Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center requested American Cancer Society to share God's Testimony of Healing me as "Luminary Speaker for 2000 Bakersfield Relay for Life"

In December of 2000, the Benny Hinn Ministry staff asked me to give God's Testimony of healing me during a healing crusade in Anaheim one evening. Pastor Benny did not call me up to the platform to speak that evening. I know that in my life God blesses my willingness to serve Him. Later that night, on the drive home, while traveling over the Grapevine overpass in Gorman California I stopped to get coffee at the Texaco station. A fellow Christian, Eloise Joliffe that I helped with a Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser for her School while at Olive Garden, recognized me and called my name out in the convenience store. She knew of God healing me of Cancer and brought a friend and his wife to the healing crusade in Anaheim to receive a healing. I stopped and spoke with her, and she asked if I would talk with her friends out in the parking lot. I said I would that this is what God healed me for, to encourage others to seek God. I went outside to meet Pat and Leoma Dempsey and share God's Testimony and pray with them. I gave Pat my business card and asked him to call me at any time he would like to talk or pray. The arena staff assisted me with the Bakersfield Centennial Gospel Night each year I worked with them, the event was held in the Centennial Plaza which was the entrance for the arena. God completed my food career with the 2001 World Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver, Canada, sent to run the two sponsor lounges for the event.

• • •

I met an amazing Chef that did 1 million dollars in suites food service and catering during the eight day event. I was in awe that God made it possible for me to experience event management on this level.

Upon my return to Bakersfield, the Price Family asked if I would consider working for them. Jay Price's family and my family went to church together in 1998 at Kern Christian Center and knew of my management career and God's healing me of Cancer. I accepted their offer in May of 2001. During my party in celebration my new position and leaving the arena the Executive Director Jim Foss stated "Ray, you have been the Spiritual Core of this building". Even though I was given this opportunity to leave the arena, the arena staff continued to support the Bakersfield Centennial Gospel Night as it continued to grow in size which the City Parks Department requested us to find a venue out of the City Parks due to size and amplified music. The staff of the Civic Center which is part of the Arena complex made it possible for the Gospel night to rent the facility for the event. This continued for the next two years which the event holds the record for largest attendance for a non-ticketed event in the history of the Civic Center.

The opportunity to work with the Price Family was completely organized by God. God's timing and plan is far above ours, how and when I met Pat Dempsey is how God changed my life.

Judy (Denison) Price, Jay Price, and I all went to Kern Christian Center together back in 1988. We stayed friends throughout the years. When I was General Manager for Bakersfield Olive Garden, I hired Judy Denison as a Manager in Training because of our friendship and her working as a restaurant manager. Judy was one of my managers during the time of the cancer that watched and took care of me and my employees during that time. When I returned to Olive Garden in 1995, and was requested to take over the Oxnard Olive Garden in 1995. I requested that Judy to be transferred to my restaurant to run the front of the house along with me. When I returned to Bakersfield from Dick Clark's in 1996 to reopen Rio Bravo Resort with Konny Boyd, I called on Judy once again to run the Fine Dining Operation I was responsible to operate for the resort. Judy agreed and at the time was seeing the founder of Price Disposal Elmer J. Price Sr. who I met a few times during this time.

Now fast forward to 2000 I met Pat Dempsey, who was the General Manager for the Price Family, and personally know Jay Price, son of Elmer J Price, from church and now Judy (Denison) Price, who is married to founder of the company and, worked with me several times. Price Disposal had a position available in the administration of the company, and it was Judy who suggested they contact me to see if I would be interested the opportunity to work for the Price Family knowing my management capabilities. Talk about a very easy and comfortable meeting talking with friends about the possibilities of working together.

The Price Family knew of my traveling the country for corporations through Judy, and they asked if that was going to be an issue knowing that this opportunity would not provide those experiences. I said no, that actually this would be a welcome relief for me and my family to have a normal Monday through Friday position that was 7:30 am to 5pm schedule, instead of the inconsistent evening, weekend, and holiday work experience I have been living our entire married life. I met with the three company owners Walt, Jay, and Wanda Price who are the children of Elmer J. Price Senior the company founder. The family has operated the company with a strong Christian value of customer service and taking care of their greatest asset their employees. I agreed to their offer and started May 1, 2001.

I had the privilege of learning the Refuse and Recycling industry from Pat Dempsey, a person who I considered a true statesman in his behavior and mannerisms. People that observed Pat and I working together claimed that we were two peas from the same pod. If one of us was working on an item and needed something to complete it, the other would hand the information to the other person to complete the item without asking for it. Since Pat and I met because of a Benny Hinn Healing Crusade in 2000, we went together again in 2002 in Anaheim. During one of our discussions we talked about his love of reading and my love of events. We learned that Pat that he would have six different books on his night stand, while I was on six different boards at once. We admired the differences in each other and admired the similarities of God in our lives with faith, family, and work ethics.

In 2001, one of the first challenges I was responsible for was City of Arvin's reporting to the State of California Waste Board for State Mandated Recycling Requirements under AB 929, requiring 50% diversion of waste from landfill by recycling programs along with a Kern County Audit of all accounts serviced by the Price Family's three Kern County franchises. As I learned in the food industry by trouble shooting, one learns from dealing with issues and people. I always know management is three simple things, time, people and product or service. If you can manage your time, you can manage your people and manage your product or service.

In 2003, Walt Price created the Classroom Recycling Program to help the City of Arvin achieve "Good Faith" statuses that helped remove the City of Arvin out of a compliance order by the state of California. Pat's Lymphoma continued to have more serious complications that had Pat passed away suddenly one weekend of July 2003. Pat was an Elder and Usher at Liberty Christian Center where a number of the Price Family attended. I was able to speak for the Price Family and employees during Pat's services.

With taking over for Pat with just two years in the industry, the Price Family asked if I would step back from community boards that required time away during the workday. Doing so without question allowed me later to do so much more for the company in the community. Earning the Price Family trust in my management capabilities gave me the opportunity to bring enhancements for the company in the way of computers, software, company insurance programs, while working with city, county and state agencies on behalf of the company. Honestly, the opportunity to work with the Price Family really has become a perfect management career that combines like-faiths in business ethic, employee and guest relations, and community service.

The city parks and recreation said we were too large for the plaza and had to move into the city's Civic Center in 2003 and the event held the highest attendance of a non ticketed event in the history of the Civic Center with over 2,000 in attendance.

The Price Family had three grandchildren attend Bakersfield Christian High School of which I was a Board Member and supported the construction of the new campus on Stockdale Highway in Bakersfield, in the way of construction roll off bins and storage containers for all contractors.

In 2004, as one of my last events as a Board Member, I was able to participate in was the graduation ceremony of my daughter Ashley's class, where I was given the privilege of handing out Diplomas to all of the graduating class, with fellow board member Don Clark Sr.

In 2005, Bakersfield City Council Member Jacquie Sullivan who was a supporter of the Bakersfield Centennial Gospel Night asked me to be the Event Coordinator for "In God We Trust - America Recognition Rally" to honor our nation's motto, with a mission of promoting patriotism by encouraging elected officials to legally display our national motto "In God We Trust" in every city and county chamber in America.

In June 2006, I just completed the installation of new computer system for office customer accounts receivable and routes for customer service. Then I began a 16 month kidney stone issue because of scar tissue that formed in my ureter from a surgery to repair my right ureter in 1993, slowing down the flow of urine, creating a golf ball size kidney stone, and then having seven procedures to correct the issues. The Price Family allowed me to schedule all of procedures on Friday to minimize my time away from the office. One time I was having a kidney stone pass while at work, and Lee Dempsey, known as "Mama Lee" in the office, took care of me while my wife Deann was visiting our daughter in Nova Scotia, Canada. Lee would not leave my side as I went from my urologist office Dr. Bruce Stone, to getting x-rays at Mercy Truxtun hospital, to admitting me for surgery and a procedure to remove two stones that were blocking my kidney from functioning, until I was out of the operating room late that night. Lee has been with the Price Family over 30 years and is an amazing friend and Godly women I have the privilege of working with daily. Once again God's people cared for me, Amen.

In 2009, the Price Family supported the Arvin Green Arts Festival, the first Recycled Material Arts Festival in California, intended to bring the community of Arvin together through schools and Kern County Arts Council to showcase recycling programs in the City of Arvin. The Bible passage that I used to focus the events community council is James 3:18, Message Bible, **"You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results** _only_ **if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor."** My dear friend Jeanette, who was Executive Director for the Kern County Arts Council, told me that because of her government position, she would not be allowed to use a Bible verse in a community event, as I was doing. The event for me was God's promise, Luke 16:10, **"He who** _is_ **faithful in** _what is_ **least is faithful also in much."** What God did with my career because of the Arvin Green Art Festival is only by the favor of God in the next 11 years.

Kern County Solid Waste Department participated in the Arvin Green Arts Festival, and within a week after its completion of the event, Kern County Department Director Doug Landon and I were discussing the event. I was asked if I could offer the event Kern County-wide. I simply said, "Sir if you fund it, I will run it." The next week, the City of Bakersfield superintendent Sal Moretti asked if I would present the program to the Keep Bakersfield Beautiful Board for consideration.

After that meeting, Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall walked over to me and said "I would like help you make this happen." Mayor Hall is a man that means what he says. Mayor Hall allowed me to use his name in promotion of this event and accompanied me to community groups such as Rotary, Kiwanis, and Lions clubs to give the event and me credibility or Grace which is unmerited favor, Amen!!!

The thing that amazed me about Mayor Hall was his passion to recognized people's efforts in the City of Bakersfield, a well established businessman who would lead by example to serve our community.

In 2010, the event was renamed in to the Greater Bakersfield Green Expo that featured High School Student Recycled Material Art with 40 green vendors creating the $7,000 in student scholarships awarded annually. This event was designed with the intent to be an opportunity for government and commercial entities to meet state required community educational outreach for refuse and recycling.

Keep Bakersfield Beautiful requested the Green Expo to be added to Bakersfield Annual Great American Clean Up. This brought 3,000 to 5,000 Bakersfield residents to view the student artwork and guests for the vendors to reach a true win - win situation in many respects. It was at this event that I met Christine Flowers the Executive Director from Keep California Beautiful, who God used to elevate this event and me to a the attention of Keep America Beautiful.

Mercy Hospital of Bakersfield celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2010 with articles of local residents and how the staff of Mercy Hospital cared for their families Amen!!!

In 2011, I was requested to be on Mayor Hall's Great American Cleanup Committee and on the Board of Keep Bakersfield Beautiful. The promotion of the Greater Bakersfield Green Expo and Great American Cleanup is collaboration between Commercial, Non-Profit and Governmental entities for the residents of Bakersfield and Metro Kern County. Both events are focused on the efforts of residents, and students, which is a very easy and welcomed event to promote to City and County governmental agencies and community groups. The event website gbgreenexpo.org and Facebook page were created for social media and historical purposes. The Greater Bakersfield Green Expo received Local, County, State and National Awards for its ability to combine public outreach and education with student recycle material art competition.

This was the first year that ten of the student's, art work was displayed on the steps of the California State Capital during Keep California Beautiful State Great American Cleanup Press Conference. This was also the year I worked directly with Luda Fishman the City of Bakersfield, Business Manager for Solid Waste Department, because she oversaw Keep Bakersfield Beautiful in her position. Luda became a close, trusted friend and consultant for me with all the community events because we shared the same desire with Keep Bakersfield Beautiful and Greater Bakersfield Green Expo for our community.

2011 is also the year that the Bakersfield American Cancer Society Relay for Life, moved into the Price Disposal service area, which enabled the company to service the event for refuse and recycling. The Price Family companies are known for thier level of customer service and safety of operations. This being a volunteer event, the need of safety and ease of operation for the volunteers allowed us to redesign trash and recycling operations for the event. The event grew to be the World's Largest Relay for Life in the World for American Cancer Society.

All of the community events in which my participation was supported by the Price Family are related to our industry of refuse and recycling and allowed me to represent the haulers of Metro Kern County on a local and state level. I was requested to chair the Recycling Committee for Keep Bakersfield Beautiful, which gave me the opportunity to utilize my position with fellow haulers to provide services for community events such as Electronic Waste Collection event that produced over $10,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities in two years, America Recycle Day at the arena I help manage in 1999 to 2001 and Make A Difference Day event along with Green Expo.

In 2012, God elevated me to the Executive Boards for both Keep California Beautiful and Bakersfield Relay for Life. I said to both directors that I did not want or need a title to do my job, just the authority to ensure I am able to complete the tasks that I am responsible for. They both said "That is why I need you on the board." With the success of the Greater Bakersfield Green Expo and Classroom Recycle Container Program, both programs funded by Metropolitan Recycling LLC, the local refuse and recycling haulers throughout Metro Kern County, I was requested to be the Chair for the Career Techincal and Education (CTE) Committee, which was created with business leaders of the community.

In 2013, Keep California Beautiful had to face the reality of possible shutdown due to lack of funding. In August, KCB did not have the ability to continue to pay the executive director and in December of 2013 I was asked to take on both Board President and Executive Director Positions as a volunteer to make it possible to continue for the state affiliate to continue.

Two things occurred to me, "Without Faith it is impossible to please God," and Marine Corps Mentality, "Improvise, Adapt & Overcome." Being the administrator for refuse and recycling hauler answerable to the state board for refuse and recycling and knowing the state wants to see programs that affect people's habits that support the state goals. God gave me the vision and inspiration to use the same classroom recycling container program that Walt Price started in the City of Arvin in 2003 to bring them out of a compliance order and into a "Good Faith" status. This became the basis of the Keep California Beautiful statewide K-12 Recycling Challenge, a program that is web based found at greencaschools.org. With the purpose of making it possible for all schools to participate, "Easy to Register, Easy to Participate, Just Recycle."

Being part of Metropolitan Recycling LLC, which is the haulers of Metro Kern County, gave me the operational skills to understand how to make to school competition easy and know what recyclables materials are common for every school. God inspired me to direct Keep California Beautiful to "Educate, Engage and Encourage" in all programs we do. With success of the K-12 Recycling competition's first year success, state department such as CalRecycle, Superintendent of Education and State Senator Jean Fuller, former Superintendent for City of Bakersfield Schools gave the event their support.

2014 Keep California Beautiful State Earth Day Press Conference with California Senator Jean Fuller

This is a great example of God's promise in Luke 16:10, "He that is faithful in that which is the least is faithful also in the much", which is how God has blessed the Price Family and now Keep California Beautiful.

2014, In January, I went to Keep America Beautiful Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina as the State Leader for Keep California Beautiful. Jennifer Jehn the new and recently hired CEO and President of Keep America Beautiful and I met and talked how we both started in our positions at the same time.

Jennifer would travel to California for three years in a row to give her support for Keep California Beautiful during Earth Month and Great American Clean Up Press Conference, when she could have chosen to be with 600 other affiliates at that time. April was the first time I would lead the Keep California Beautiful State Press Conference on the steps of our states capital and prayed about how to Honor God in my time to talk. God gave me the words in the Marine Code of Conduct, "God, Country, Corps", in one of the most political cities in our country, Sacramento. No one or media can challenge this long-standing tradition that I earned by my service that protects our way of life. This is what I say with any public speaking I do.

In the same month, the haulers of Metropolitan Recycling LLC opened their new 50,000 square foot recycling facility to manage the majority of residential, commercial and industrial recyclables in Metro Kern County and the City of Bakersfield and they allowed me to assist in the marketing of the Grand Opening celebration.

In July was the first State Leaders Conference I attended in San Antonio, Texas. Because of my experience with events such as the Emmys Awards and World Figure Skating Championships while with Aramark Sports and Entertainment. My desired is to enhance the National Awards Program for Keep America Beautiful to the level indicative of a national award. I was allowed to make a presentation at the conference because of the trust and belief in me of Cecile Carson, Senior Vice President of Keep America Beautiful. Cecile knew of my efforts with Keep Bakersfield Beautiful since 2010 and why and what I was doing for Keep California Beautiful. I had to bring to light items that the organization would have change, to enable them to grow and enhance the process of the awards program itself, to better recognize the efforts of the nominations and Keep America Beautiful itself. I know that when I am focused on Honoring God and Blessing His Children, God has always given me the words to say in the right manner.

One of the greatest privileges of being in leadership is the opportunity to recognize people's efforts. From 2011 to 2015 I was able to submit over 20 nominations for people and businesses of Bakersfield for local, state, and national awards and received 14 awards for their efforts. Kevin Barnes, Director for the City of Bakersfield Solid Waste Department during the 2015 Bakersfield Great American Cleanup celebration at Yokuts Park asked Price Disposal Owner Jay Price, "When you hired Ray, did you do it because of his marketing abilities?" Jay said "No that was a bonus we did not know about." Kevin Barnes once said to me "that I hijacked the Great American Clean Up, because of the success of the Great Bakersfield Green Expo". I said "Sir the success of the Green Expo is the success of Bakersfield through Keep Bakersfield Beautiful." Sal Moretti, Supervisor for City of Bakersfield who brought me to Keep Bakersfield Beautiful, attempted to move the board to nominate me for the Iron Eyes Cody award from Keep America Beautiful, which was "Male Volunteer of the Year". With my work with fellow State Leaders and Keep America Beautiful staff, that award is now a "Life Time Achievement Award" requiring 10 years of consecutive service to Keep America Beautiful. The revised national awards program focused on Excellence, not quantity of awards given, now just one award for Excellence per category.

In 2015, I received a Lifetime Achievement Award for volunteer service from United States President Barrack Obama because of over 4,350 hours in community service since 1997, certified by Sr. VP. Cecile Carson of Keep America Beautiful. It is extremely humbling when people and entities know your heart and are willing to share it with others.

Bakersfield City Council member humbled me when he approached me at the bank while I was conducting business for the Price Family. They came to me and said, "A group of us were talking about you today." I jokingly asked, "What I did do now?" They wanted to know if I was going to run for Mayor for the City of Bakersfield. I said, "I am extremely humbled with your consideration, BUT NO!!!" I do not care for politics and I would never want to follow in Mayor Harvey Hall's footsteps for many reasons, because Mayor Hall has been an amazing Mayor and Friend. 2016, was the 15th Anniversary of Bakersfield's Great American Clean Up and Mayor Hall's final year in office. I requested CEO & President of Keep America Beautiful, Jennifer Jehn to consider scheduling three days in California to participate in 3 events, Keep California Beautiful State Press Conference, Greater Bakersfield Green Expo, and Bakersfield Great American Clean Up to recognize Mayor Hall for his 15 years of service to Keep America Beautiful through Keep Bakersfield Beautiful.

Jennifer also chose to ride with me for the five hour trip from Sacramento to Bakersfield. We talked the entire trip about, faith, family, friends and business ethics and practices. Not a word about Keep America Beautiful business the entire trip.

Jennifer allowed me to schedule her time in Bakersfield to meet with radio station, fellow haulers, and judge student art work for the Green Expo one day. Then she accompanied Mayor Hall to Bakersfield's Relay for Life to meet with American Cancer Society CEO & President during the opening ceremonies and returned to the Great American Clean Up Celebration to recognize Mayor Hall.

At this year's Green Expo I received a compliment from, Kern County Public Works Director of Waste Management Department, Nancy Ewert who was one the people who had the county become a founding sponsor the first year in 2010. While judging the art work she said, "I was the only administrators of the local refuse haulers that are not a hauler family member who can work directly with our department."

I was able to write God's Testimony of my life in Mayor Hall's Book "Bakersfield It's the People and a Whole Lot More" with a two page article called "Because God Loved me Through Bakersfield" that was in the section of the book entitled "Building a Greater Bakersfield".

Awake California Event on August 27, was held in the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, an event that called for all Christians to a day of prayer and fasting so God's Glory can dwell in and transform our state. I was able to assist with the set up and stage management for the event because of my relationship with arena staff and my knowledge of the arena. Once again God allowed me to be apart a community event because of my willingness to serve Him and others.

# 2017 & 2018

### Adapt, Improvise and Overcome

The way I am able to Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome life's situations is honestly through the power that God provides though His Word and His Holy Spirit. Two items I have in the center of my desk at work to keep me focused are 1) James 3:18 Message Version, " You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor" 2) Business Quote, "Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible."

A year that began like the last three years, Keep America Beautiful National Conference at the end of January in Washington DC, while preparing for Keep California Beautiful state-wide K-12 recycling challenge in March, preparing for Keep California Beautiful State Press Conference in Sacramento a week before the Greater Bakersfield Green Expo and Bakersfield's Great American Clean Up Celebration in April. God for the past 3 years inspired me to develop an executive team for Keep California Beautiful to assist me and continue the growth of the organization.

In March as part of the promotion of this year's Bakersfield Great American Cleanup event for Keep Bakersfield Beautiful, I agreed to sing "God Bless America", during the 7th inner stretch of the Blaze Game. Two days before the game, the Blaze Staff called me and asked if I could also sign the National Anthem at the opening of the game. I said sure and then started praying because normally I would practice two weeks before signing the National Anthem for a community event.

As God's word says, " **be instant in season, out of season"**

God can use one's professional talents for the Growth of His Church even using my management of Trash and Recycling, if one is willing. Garden Community Church in downtown Bakersfield has purchased the city block next to the city block the church currently is located on. Jon Price and his family attend church at The Garden and the company naturally supports ministry projects in the way of Trash and Recycling services needed. I was asked to be part of the construction team for the project.

Knowing the growth that Price Disposal was going to have both short and long term, I advised Keep America Beautiful of the possibilities of my time limitations as I am acting as both Board President and Executive Director for Keep California Beautiful. God continued to bless the funding of Keep California Beautiful to enable the ability to contact with both a professional fundraiser and contract with Keep California Beautiful former Executive Director Christine Flowers as the Collegiate Affiliate Consultant. Christine with Cecile Carson of Senior Vice President for Keep America Beautiful was able to officially announce Sacramento State University as the first Collegiate Affiliate in the nation for Keep America Beautiful during the Keep California Beautiful State Press Conference.

On April 19, 2017 - I am sitting across from our state capital getting ready for my next meeting, realizing that God has allowed me to bring Keep California Beautiful this far and enable me to let go of it, so God's Perfect Will can be accomplished, Amen. This is God once again preparing me to Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome changes requested of me.

I always appreciate the Price Family for always being straight forward with me. Walt Price is the one who created the classroom container program that I was able to take that program form the City of Arvin, to all of Metro Kern County and is the basis of the state-wide K-12 recycle competition.

The Price Family was extremely gracious with their support and the amount of time I was allowed to work with Keep California Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful.

Walt Price and I had a conversation in the beginning of April, and Walt said "Ray the three of us, (Walt, Wanda and Jay principle owners) would like to retire, but we have to trust that you will be in the office" and he asked for me to reduce my time out of the office. I was able to make one call to Christine Flowers and also contract her to represent Keep California Beautiful and me in fundraising meetings in Sacramento and events I would normally attend as President of the Board. This would have an even greater importance soon later in 2017.

May 6th & 7th, Bakersfield's Relay for Life for American Cancer Society is one of the largest community events for the year in Kern County that the Price Family has sponsored the refuse and recycling services for the event since 2011. This year had even more importance for me with my sister-in law Kelly's battle with cancer. Kelly helped me with the Bakersfield Centennial Gospel night by leading prayer with all groups before they performed. Kelly once asked me to join her in praying for a friend in the hospital. I was honored to marry her and Kent on the beach on August 14, 2004. This year 2017 I was granted to the opportunity to sing the national anthem for the opening ceremony as a 25-year survivor of cancer, which I dedicated to Kelly.

• • •

Kelly ended her fight with cancer on May 31st 2017. Kelly and my relationship was very close and Kelly was able to be very open and trusted me to share everything she was feeling during the cancer because of what God did with my time of cancer. Kelly's spiritual attitude throughout the cancer was amazing and inspiring.

In June now that the major events for this year have been completed, I have had time to talk with fellow haulers and make a business decision about ending the Greater Bakersfield Green Expo at the end of eight years, due to rising costs and fewer sponsors that creating the annual student scholarship fund.

Seeking God's wisdom to know how to honor those who were a part of this event and explain this decision was important in the manner which it was done.

In July, it was very clear and truly God's favor in my life of the ability to hire consultants in April for Keep California Beautiful and move forward while not relying on my ability to carry on as I did before, at this time because of the success of Keep California Beautiful launching the only collegiate affiliate program in the nation for Keep America Beautiful.

July 27, while I was working on our back-yard patio awning, installing a metal roof and standing at the top of a six foot ladder, I passed out and went face first into our cement patio.

That evening my wife Deann was supposed to go to women's meeting, but decided not to and was sitting on our couch next to the windows near the patio. She heard the ladder hit the patio and got up to look outside to see what happened. She found me lying across the ladder, bleeding from my head and nonresponsive. Deann, being a preschool director having first aid training, knew she had to stabilize my head to avoid any further possible injuries and call 911. She held my head until the ambulance got there to take over. Knowing I have a number of medical complications with surgery, she gave the EMTs my medial id necklace that was all of my most urgent medical issues on it, to give to the trauma center doctors to make them aware of my conditions. Deann immediately called our daughter Ashley who is a nurse at Mercy Southwest Hospital close to our home, to ask her to pick Deann up, so they can be at the hospital together.

Deann and Ashley were able to speak with the trauma room doctors and understand my conditions and their concerns for this situation. Knowing now my immediate needs, Deann called our pastors and Jon Price to explain what happened, and that they needed to pray now. Brain Bleed on left side, Hematoma under sternum, and my blood results had to come back to therapeutic level now. If things did not happen now to control the swelling and bleeding, surgery would be needed. After prayer the medications worked faster than doctors had seen, and surgery was not required. Other issues were a fractured right orbital socket and 2 cracked ribs on right side.

I did not remember anything from the time I started working on the patio awning, until I was wheeled into the direct observation unit the next day. I thank God for not having me feel the pain of hitting that concrete patio face first. This is really like my most frequent prayer, "Lord protect me from myself"

Deann and I met with the Trauma Doctor on the second day before being released for the hospital. The doctor said, "Normally someone that went through you did, we would normally have stay out of work four to six weeks." I looked at the doctor and said you have seven days. She asked what I did for work; I replied that I am an administrator which no physical work is required. I did take 10 days off and spent most of that time writing God's testimony in my life. I did take the doctor's recommendation seriously and reduced my time at work from 10 hours to 8.5, reduced meetings out of the office, paid my nephews to take care of my yard and paid the company mechanics to finish my awning.

Back in April of 2017, I had contracted consultants to represent Keep California Beautiful at events I would normally be at. The very next week after the accident was the California Resource Recovery Association Conference in San Diego. Christine Flowers and Cecile Carson were at the conference for Keep California Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful.

August 10, Deann and I met with the Kaiser Neurologist, who took time to talk with us, get information from Deann, tested me, and read the cat scans and said " **You are Beyond Blessed."** I said, "I realize that Amen." He said people who fall off a six-foot ladder head first, normally end up dead, paralyzed, or have severely life changing trauma. At the time of this visit, I was dealing with a little double vision and issues with sleep. The doctor said he was very impressed with my quick recovery, and I said "That is God for ya." He said "YES!!!" My double vision should recover in three to six months. Doctor said since I did not have to have surgery to correct the brain bleed, I could fly to our family reunion in Massachusetts. It was 1986 since my last time at the reunion.

Since I was doing strictly as the doctors said that would be best for my recovery, I have had no issues with work.

I have been able to return to my community board meetings in a management capacity, which I can only say but for the **Grace of God** , I know this would be drastically different.

On September 8th I saw Kaiser Ophthalmologist to check the condition of the eyes at this time since after the accident. The doctor said that she noticed the 4th and 6th nerves of the right eye were affected and should recover within the three to six months as the neurologist said. I told her in consideration of what could have been, this issue really is only a minor and that I am a Marine whose character is to **Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome** issues in life. She just smiled.

9.16.17 - Conti Family Reunion - Full realizing how Blessed our family is. So very ordinary, so very loving, so very fun, seeing all my younger cousins with families of their own, doing well. Sure, normal struggles of life affect all of us, but our family deals with them, which enables our family to be the family I remember growing up.

This was a nine day family vacation that we were able to arrive two days early of the reunion so I could have times alone with my cousins before and after the reunion. I was able to bring my daughter, son in-law, and grandchildren to Boston for two days before driving to New Jersey and spending more time with each of my five other siblings and parents. An amazing time that allowed my family to see me after knowing my accident and injuries on July 27. It was during my time with my siblings I learned how much my twin and I are alike. Both of us were board members of local high schools where we were able to use our professional talents to make a difference as we served our communities.

On the flight home to California I noticed an issue I have focusing on paperwork and computer screen had improved to the point that I did not have the eye strain or double vision I was experiencing since the accident only 57 days earlier.

Also on the flight home I read an article about the 2028 Olympics being awarded to Los Angeles for the third time in history. God's word quickly came to me, **"For a Time Such as This."** I am preparing for Keep California Beautiful to assist with Refuse and Recycling for the Olympics with all the State Offices, Haulers and Non-Profit organizations to support the Olympics need for our industry's ability to serve.

Tuesday September 26, my wife's sister Sharon brought Myra my mother in-law to the emergency room due to concern's for her health, which had been deteriorating since the passing of her youngest child, Kelly, my sister in-law on May 31, just short of four months since then. The doctors said she was suffering from "Broken Heart Syndrome," which is severe grieving. Myra's Senior Health Care Group released her from the hospital and sent her home the next day, because at the moment her heart condition was addressed and did not address anything else.

Friday September 29, at 4pm I received a call from my wife Deann asking me to go directly to Sharon's house where Myra was living, because Myra was not doing well at all. Our daughter Ashley, who is a registered nurse at a local hospital, left her shift early to be with us. Ashley quickly assessed that Myra needed help now, whether that was to bring her to the hospital Emergency now or call in Hospice. My wife Deann has a friend who is a social case worker for a local hospice group come in to start things happening to care for Myra. Within an hour a registered nurse was there to officially assess Myra. The family expected to hear how hospice could help Myra continue living with assisted care. The registered nurse thought she was here to assess a person that was known to be dying and said that Myra was in the last stages of passing on, complete shock to Myra's grown children who not aware of the seriousness of her condition and that she had less than 48 hours according to her condition. Hospice quickly brought needed oxygen for Myra and began talking this through with the family.

Here is where God's anointing showed through our daughter Ashley. Ashley, as she naturally does as a person since she was young cared for Grandmother physically, emotionally and spiritually, in a very loving and gentle way to assure Myra she is safe and she would not leave her. Ashley, her Granddaughter, DJ her Grandson, and Jason her Great Grandson, were with her 24/7 giving Myra the opportunity to be with all her grandchildren that were able to visit with her throughout all of Saturday.

Then at 1,am Sunday morning, October 1st, Ashley called Myra's children to come now because Myra's conditioned worsened. Myra's children and their spouses were there surrounding Myra with the old hymns Myra loved playing softly as she was ushered into the Lord's presence by the love of her family. It was an amazingly peaceful time because we knew Myra was with her Jesus, her father, mother, sister, and daughter Kelly. Once again, I experienced the Peace that passes all Understanding that can only come from a Loving God.

The next day as I was talking to Ashley, telling her how amazing God worked through her for Myra and the family, Ashley said she had prayed several times Psalms 91 - God's Protection over Myra to bring comfort and peace to her. Then she shared with me that when I was in the trauma center she prayed that same prayer over me seeking God's anointing to take care of me. After praying, things medically began to happen to the amazement of the doctors which eliminated the need for surgery to correct a brain bleed or bleeding in my chest. Once again, in my life when I need it the most, God answered the prayers of His and our children, Amen.

I have always been that 10,ft bulletproof Marine, but since my accident on July 27, 2017 I have experienced pain infrequently through different parts of my body, shoulders, back, elbows, knees, back side of arms, calf, thighs, and my energy level has been at an all-time low even after eight hours sleep. I now have to push through this feeling in the morning when I wake up. I have been cautious not to do as I would normally do, to prevent any possible issues of over excursion. Issues include blurred vision from looking to the right and slight imbalance when quickly rising up.

My question to my doctors is, "When can I return to limited physical exercise to regain my wholeness I lived before?" I do not want medication; I want to safely return to feeling strong once again, through physical activity, which drives the emotions.

Veteran's week this year, I was called on two times to speak of how my military career enables me to serve our community through living the Marine Code of Conduct: God, Country, Corps (Community)

In the second week of December, I was asked as a board member of Jesus Shack to speak on the morning TV show about Kids Christmas event to provide gifts for children in our local schools who may go without.

Then, while Christmas shopping this week, I realized that I did not have any issues from the past months. I was feeling stronger and was given approval by my doctors to return to working out, which reminded me of the verse I stood on during the cancer, Isaiah 40:31 "Those who wait upon the Lord (actively serving God through your situation) shall renew their strength; they will mount up with wings of eagles. They shall walk and not be faint; they shall run and not be weary."

Also this week I received an email from a staff member of Benny Hinn Ministry asking my permission to use God's healing of me once again. I replied, "Yes, that is what it is for, to Honor God and Bless His Children."

A question I dared to ask in preparation for this book to friends that I work with in the community is, "If you trust me, why?"

Lori McWilliams, Price Disposal Insurance Broker,- I trust you because you are open, you communicate with me on every level business and personal, and you are honest trustworthy, and sincere in your friendship, but most of all, you are a great listener and give me comfort and guidance that all will be well as long as you have faith and believe in yourself.

Randy McDaniel, Sysco Food Service since 1996,- Because you have never failed me you have kept your word. You have never let me down.

Judy Price, Friend from church since 1987, Okay Ray, and Yes I trust you among the few on this Earth that I actually really do trust. The reasons I trust you is because you have always done what you said you will do, you have always been a faithful friend, you have demonstrated your faith by your life. You have always been there for me. It is sad to say that I know so few people that I can say I really trust, but you are one.

Brenda Godbold, Bakersfield Relay for Life Manager since 2010, Integrity, humbleness compassion to others.

• • •

Here is God for Ya, end one year and begin the next year using people God has placed in my life Amen!!! 2018 started off with the article from Benny Hinn Minsrty in a mailer to all ministry mailing lists which I received Thursday 1/4/18.

The next week I receive a call from a longtime friend Tina Miler who hosts a local radio show "Open Up" on January 25th.

Tina as a strong Christian Community Leader uses this program to share Christian Business people and their lives to Honor God and Encourage others.

The last week of January I received a call from my Aunt Carol that my Uncle Bob that had been fighting cancer for over 2 years quickly diminished in his ability to live normally and had to be placed on hospice care at home. I thank God for the opportunity to be with Uncle Bob and Aunt Carol that night because he passed the next week. With makes the 5th loss of family and friends in one year's time. I realize that if God had not changed the way I needed to manage my commitments to work relate events such as Keep California Beautiful and Greater Bakersfield Green Expo in April of 2017. I would not have been able as available to my family and friends when they needed me most. Reinforcing in me that God's Will for my life is prefect as I am willing to trust and accept changes as God's word promises in Psalm 18:30 _As for_ God, his way _is_ perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he _is_ a buckler(a round shield) to all those that trust in him.

God still encouraging me and other's through what He has done. January is a busy month getting ready for Keep California Beautiful statewide K-12 recycling challenge. At the request of school administrators we move the competition to the month February to make it easier for schools to participate without the concerns of spring break being at the end of the month in March. Huge success the number of schools participating doubled from 156 to 326 schools. California now has the most schools participating in the Keep America Beautiful national schools Recycle Bowl competition in the country. The competition's Motto is: Simple to Register, Simple to Participate, Simply Recycle. God's word states the simple will confound the wise. The ability to recognizing 49 schools for their efforts with a total of $18,000 dollars in cash awards each year is amazing and done out of a pure heart to Educate, Engage and Encourage students and schools. This has been done because of the people God has surrounded me with at Keep California Beautiful.

With the same purpose to Educate, Engage and Encourage on April 10th 2018 California State University Bakersfield became only the second Colligate Affiliate Program in the nation for Keep California Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful. My long time friend, News Anchor for TV Station KGET Jim Scott hosted the event on the CSUB Campus. Jim Scott and my relationship started at the 2000 American Cancer Society Relay for Life Luminary Ceremony, as I gave God's Testimony of Healing me in 1994 in front of 4,000 participants.

Just before Jim introduced me to speak, Jim said "Ray give them Jesus".

Jim Scott has been a constant friend since 2000 Relay for Life, 2003 & 2004 MC for Bakersfield Centennial Gospel Night, 2014 opening of Metropolitan Recycling LLC to 2018 Keep California Beautiful press conference MC at California State University Bakersfield and Relay For Life Opening Ceremony MC.

At this event in recognizing CSUB for their accomplishments, my intent was to recognize two men who without their support over the last 9 years I would not be in the position with Keep California Beautiful that I am today. Walt Price, owner of Price Disposal and former Bakersfield Mayor Dr. Harvey Hall. My comments always start with my Marine Corps Code of Conduct: God Country Corps and continued to talk about the "Depth of Bakersfield" that created ability recognize California State University Bakersfield.

With 5 events in April for Earth Month and preparing for Bakersfield's Annual Relay for Life the first weekend in May was very challenging. Along with the preparation for the events trash and recycling efforts, I am also a "Power in Purple" in our community raising funds and awareness for the event.

Once again my friend Jim Scott with TV KGET asked if I would do an updated interview for the event. KGET took the 2000 interview using footage from the Benny Hinn Crusade in 1994 when I was healed, Interview with my Dr.Allan Cartmell in 2000 and added the 2018 recent interview with me.

At the opening ceremony of the event Jim Scott asked me to give the invocation or opening prayer. Thanking God for the Day, The People, The efforts of Everyone and Every Dollar Raised Amen!!!

Later that evening I was serving dinner to the executive team of the event and a women came up to me in tears. I stopped and asked if I could help her. She said you did already. I asked what did I do, She explained that her 6 year old saw God's testimony on TV that week and had to share it with his class at St. John's Elementary School and then when he watched and listen to you pray this morning, it was so real to him what God did for you. She said he is going to be so jealous when I go home and tell him you served me and I actually talked with you. She asked if I had something to tell him. I said yes, "be willing to follow God in your life, for God can use those who are willing Amen." Once again, proof that God continues to use His Testimony in my life, to Honor Him and Encourage His Children Amen.

Now that the busiest part of my year is over, I normally leave Bakersfield the week before Mother's Day to visit our Daughter Lindsey in Nova Scotia Canada. To make it special for my Wife Deann(The Nana) and our daughter Lindsey for Mother's Day and because it is also our oldest grandson's birthday week. That Tuesday we received word that our Pastor Clyde Wasdin's wife had past. Then when flying home on Saturday May 19th I got a call from my dear friend Luda Fishman form City of Bakersfield that shocked me. Former Mayor Dr. Harvey Hall had passed away. I quickly call the mayor's manager who I work with as a hauler for the City of Bakersfield and Kern County. He explained what had happened and we discovered the last public event the Dr. Hall attended was the Keep California Beautiful Press Conference at California State University Bakersfield. Mayor Dr. Harvey Hall legacy in the City of Bakersfield that he loved is "Unity in the Community". His passion was to recognize everyone's efforts in Bakersfield who made a positive difference and took ownership in Bakersfield. Mayor Dr. Harvey Hall is one of many people God has brought into my life to learn from by his example in life.

The following Saturday May 26th both important people in our lives had their services this day just an hour apart. Thank God for technology today that I was able to watch Mayor Dr. Harvey Hall's service on television while Deann was preparing to get ready for Carolyn Wasdin's service and be with Deann to be solely focused on my wife needs for that day.

June 2018 is when God inspired me to make this book to be published first as an E-Book so that what has been Freely Given to me can be Shared Freely. God has supplied the people to do this with the I.T. and Web Manger for Keep California Beautiful Bob Hollis owner and designer of MobiusItelligent.Com.

I received a message on Facebook from my best friend Jim Fontana's wife Norma, that she was planning Jim's 60th birthday party at their home in Arizona, and wanted to surprise Jim with me for this day. Jim and Norma surprised me on my 50th birthday party in 2011 when daughter's arranged a wonderful birthday celebration for me. Even though it was Father's Day weekend my daughter's understood my relationship Jim and was excited for me to be with Jim. Friday June the 15th in the morning while I was at work getting ready to fly out that afternoon, I received a phone call from my brother Billy who explained our father had a major stroke and was hospitalized. A stoke that literately wiped out his memory of everything and everyone.

But here is God for Ya!!! My father is now in No Pain, No Frustration just Content and seemingly Happy. Now being 80 years old the last 15 or more years has been very frustrating for him and if his memory continued, my father would not allow others to take care of him that he needs today.

Jim was excited when I arrived with Norma on Friday after work to meet up with Jim. Saturday evening after the party, Jim and I spent time alone to talk about his life, his family and his desire to follow Jesus. Throughout our relationship since 1989, we have had the type of relationship we can share anything because we trust each other completely. Once again because of my willingness just to be there and listen, God gave me another moment, a time that God is Honored and His Children are Encouraged. God inspired our daughter Ashley to surprise me at the airport knowing the rollercoaster weekend I had with Deann, my grandchildren, her and Ryan welcoming me home to complete my Father's Day Amen!!!

ExtraordianryGod.com is a website that has all the documentation, pictures and videos for the past 26 years that displays God's testimony in my Life.

# My Personal Relationship with Christ

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 10:10King James Version (KJV)

_I am an ordinary man, who takes out his own trash out, who mows his own yard today; I thank God for all the experiences in my life. I grew up loving to experience life through volunteering, gaining wisdom and knowledge of_ _life. Experiencing that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is "a friend that sticketh closer than a brother". Whether through the politics of life, providing for your family, during the fight of your life because of cancer or the ability to keep focused on God's will during success of career and community service._ For me, God's wisdom and strength enable me to do more for God, family, career and community, enabling me to live out my Marine Corps Moto: Semper Fidelis / Always Faithful and Code of Conduct: God, Country, Corps (Community). God will use ordinary people who are willing to be used by God. A number of times God used His testimony of healing me when I was not Pastor Benny Hinn's first or second choice, but I was the one who was willing to respond to God's call which resulted in my position with Price Family / Price Disposal which God has created a life for me now that fulfills all that I desire to do for my family, career, and community. I honestly believe in the inspired words of President John F. Kennedy, "Ask not what this country can do for you, but ask what you can do for this country" and the truth of President Ronald Reagan "Peace through Strength" which for me means that if we are strong through Faith, we have the ability to live peacefully with God and do his will. I have two items on my desk at work, that keep me focused: **First** James 3:18 Message Bible "You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with the dignity and honor. **Second,** the other statement is "Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is Wise, Risking more than others think is Safe, and Expecting more than others think is Possible"

A reporter, while interviewing me after seeing the TBN - Trinity Broadcasting Special "God's Healing Touch", asked with enthusiasm, "You must be a great cheerleader for the Lord since your healing". I explained that God strengthened and deepened my Faith to live for Him and my family. Teresa Allen from Benny Hinn ministries, who I got to know for years by serving with the ministry when possible, once said, "Ray you are the type of standard God rests upon", a humbling statement coming from a person I highly respected. Dr Alan Cartmell said wrote me a note: "Friend of God, Friend to Man, My Friend".

### God's Word

_What encouraged me most about reading God's Word was to understand the purpose of the Holy Spirit in my life and how I can help others, see Jesus in their life. I see God's examples for us to follow in the Old Testament, and Jesus in the New Testament shows us the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are why I do what I do. My favorite_ Books of God's Word are _Proverbs_ \- God's wisdom, _Job_ \- how to live through crisis of life, _James_ \- how to live a Christian Life.

The Bible showed me how the men of God lived their Faith without all the things we have today that we take for granted. Praise God that I understood the purpose of the Bible in my life before the cancer. I would not have had the spiritual and mental strength to live through the cancer without understanding God's word in my life. As a Marine, I knew of the strength of God's Mighty Warriors of Israel. My Surgeon Mark Newbrough said the miracle allows me to stand as an example of my faith. _My Favorite Verse, Isaiah 40:31, Those who "Wait" upon the Lord, I take "Wait upon" to mean to "Serve" the Lord, Being "Active" in their Faith and Personal relationship with God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit Amen!!!_ I ask myself how I can Honor God and Bless His Children. I enjoy facilitating the needs of a community event operationally, which enables the event leadership to focus on the intent the event. Following the example of Jesus in that, Jesus came to serve and not be served. When good people do nothing evil persists and that Godly beautiful people have strength that is seen through their constant moving forward, lifting up themselves and others around them. The way I keep God's word fresh daily for me is watching Christian TV Channels as in TBN-Trinity Broadcasting Network, Hillsong Channel and The Word Network, listening to Christian Radio in my car and receiving daily emails from favorite ministries each day. This allows me to rest in God's grace in my life which gives me the desire and understanding how to share God's grace with others. Like **1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 New International Version (NIV)** 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus, Continually hearing and reading God's word daily, made easy by today's technology is a Blessing that keeps me grounded in the Love & Power of God, Jesus and Holy Spirit Amen!!!

My most frequently asked prayer is:

" _God protect me from myself"_

I know that I have made mistakes in all areas of my life. God has given me the ability to look at myself, before I possibly repeat a mistake and avoid making that mistake again. Through my life, I know that God does not move away from me, but I have moved away from God or thought I could do things on my own. This is especially important with my relationships in my life, marriage, children, family, friends, employers and employees _._ I learned early on that people do not want to be preached at, but rather shown God's love and favor through my actions. One of the greatest examples in my life of God protecting me from myself, showing me the blessing controlling my tongue, was as I was dealing with Social Security for benefits during the cancer. I checked with Social Security every time they sent benefits for me and my family. I made notes of the date, time and who I spoke with for each telephone call and kept a file for everything dealing with Social Security, which is my natural practice in business as a manager. In 1996 when we purchased our first house, Social Security was claiming we were over paid by $16,000 and that we needed to pay it back. Even with sending them all my documentation, it took 6 months to get a sit-down meeting with a Social Security manager to discuss our situation. Once I received the appointment I began praying for wisdom to know how and what to say to the manger I will be meeting. Just before entering the building I asked God _"to give me the words to say or to shut my mouth"_ I walked into the office stating I have an appointment, and the staff brought me to a conference room and sat at the table. The manager walked in with a huge 4 inch binder, and sat down, and began speaking; "Mr. Scott, Social Security records everything you wrote and every telephone call you made. In all my years of working with Social Security, I have never seen someone do everything you did to ensure Social Security gave you was correct and yet everything backfire on you. This amount is too great for me to waive, I must send this to a panel to review and discuss, but I am giving my insight that it be waived. You will receive the decision in the mail". I stood up, shook the manager's hand, and said thank you. This meeting was a Wednesday, and I received Social Security's decision to waive the total amount on that Friday. When have you ever heard or seen a federal agency resolve and send official documents in two days? That can only be explained by the Favor of God.

### Praise & Worship

_My closeness to God grew stronger during times of Praise and Worship. For me this is a time with God that creates_ _"a peace that passes all understanding"._ Praise and Worship is where I focus solely on loving God and God provides His inspired Will for me. _God provided inspiration to use my talents for work issues, church ministry needs, community events and help with family and friends. The purpose of the Bakersfield Centennial Gospel Night was too simply to create the atmosphere for the Holy Spirit to minister to people with the music of the Church of Bakersfield._ God brought Pastor Ron Crenshaw of Shekinah Ministries and his congregation to the Bakersfield Centennial Gospel Night the first year of 8 years, providing the complete technical part of the event, so I could focus on the administration of the event, which is my gifting or talent. Pastor agreed with God's Vision for the event and was willing to serve. Matthew 5:8, " **Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God".** This event was to Honor God and Bless His Children, which gave me even more faith to trust God and do His Will because I know what God inspires, God will provide for.

### God's Unconditional Love

_One night during the cancer, a night where my wife and children could not even hold me because I had a longer needle sticking out of my chest for chemotherapy, I was feeling very alone and depressed. Then the Holy Spirit gave me this vision of God my Father holding me in His arms, close to His chest as His Child, where I felt loved, secure and protected. For me, Faith is the belief in God that enables me to live your life, walk through fear, and love yourself and others. A love that can only come from God, a love that has saved me from myself and all the errors in my life and now allows me to show God's love to others. When the opportunity is made for me, I pray for people that God's Anointing falls on them, as I had experienced and received God's Healing from cancer. God's Unconditional loves for me are the people God has brought in my life to encourage me through life's challenges and be with me in success while doing God's Will. In 2011,_ as Ashley and I were preparing for Deann's Birthday party, I had to go to the emergency room once again. The food had just arrived from the caterer, balloons and decorations had been set, and I went to see if Ashley was done getting Deann's hair ready for the party. I walked into the bedroom and they both like at me and said what happened? Because Ashley and I were focused on making this day special for Deann, we forgot that the balloons were LATEX, which I am very allergic to causing, "Anaphylactic Shock", which the doctors have said happened in all the surgeries I have had. My face immediately started swelling up, and Praise God, we were living very close to the emergency room. I drove myself to the emergency room, so Deann and Ashley could take care of the party with family and friends. I walked into the emergency room, and it was so apparent what was happening that I was immediately sent to the procedure room in front of all the other people waiting already to be seen. The emergency room where they placed me was the room they attend to all people brought by ambulances. In a room with eight beds only separated by curtains, the doctors quickly gave me Epinephrine and told me to rest and that they would be coming in and out frequently to monitor me. For the first two hours, I was by myself. Then an ambulance came in with a woman who was found non-responsive by her family while taking a nap. They cared for her in the bed right next to me, with me being able to clearly hear everything the Emergency Medical Team did for her and continuing to attempt to bring her back, but finally realizing that any further treatment would not bring her back. I heard the doctor say they needed to pronounce the time of death. After praying for the family's peace, I completely understood but once again in my life "But for the Grace of God there Go I" once again deepening my Faith in God.

• • •

God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things in this world. That explains how God used a person that should have died four times of the complications of cancer in 1994 to President of the Board of Keep California Beautiful in December of 2013 to today.

If you have not asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior and know God on a personal level, I pray that this testimony of God, Jesus and Holy Spirit in my life encourages you to do so, Amen.

