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Only Months to Live
by Jerry Graham · Filed Under: General Encouragement · Overcomers
“Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” Randy Pausch, Ph.D.
If you had only months to live, what kind of legacy would you want to leave behind?
Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Rejoice. Change your ways. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Cor. 13:11; NLT)
Our good friend, Janet Kennon, recently sent me a link to a replay of an 11-minute segment from the Oprah Show. This story definitely falls into our list of “overcomers.” Perhaps you’ve seen this as it’s getting phenomenal play on the internet (over 6 million views), but in case you haven’t, I can’t urge you enough to take a few minutes and watch.
The background goes like this. Dr. Randy Pausch was an extremely bright and popular, young computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Last September, he gave “My Last Lecture” before over 400 students and faculty at the university. The “My Last Lecture” is apparently a long standing series that allows professors to deliver a lecture that answers the question, “If you had one last lecture to give before you died, what would it be?”
Dr. Paush’s lecture was a bit more poignant than others in the series given the fact that he was losing the battle against pancreatic cancer, and the doctors had only given him a few months to live. (The full Carnegie Mellon lecture is on YouTube if any of you want to watch it after you see the shorter version he did for Oprah’s audience. You can watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo. Warning–it’s 75 minutes long, and very inspiring to watch.)
This is not a tear-jerker video. Dr. Pausch is not making the presentation to elicit sympathy nor pity. The whole thing is very upbeat and inspirational to say the least. One of the quotes of Dr. Pausch from the Ophra version is, “I can’t control the cards I’m dealt–just how I play the hand.” There’s really not much more that I can say that would add to the story.
I encourage you to watch the video. It will definitely make you think.
Prayer Power
Lord, we pray for a miracle of healing for Randy Pausch. Clearly this young man has a lot to say that we all need to hear. We thank You for the technology that has allowed millions of people to already be impacted by that message.
Link of the Day
Randy Pausch on Ophra
Blessings on you as you reflect on the attitude of this brave man.
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Jerry Graham, aka "DocJerry," is a professional lifestyle and leadership coach and a social marketing authority who coaches ministry leaders, small business owners, and network marketers, on how to properly capitalize on the current Internet trends. He is also a blogger, a charter member and guide at Renegade University, and one of the Super Guides at Marketing Merge. 
Sharon Graham, R.N., is a professional lifestyle coach and a wellness authority who coaches a broad range of clients from corporate executives, small-business owners, and other professionals, to stay-at-home moms and dads in how to achieve and maintain wellness. Sharon is also a blogger, a sought-after public speaker, and a great cook who is currently compiling a cookbook. 