(Judah as a child with out his front toofers)
When I was born, I didn't enter the world the normal way, head first. I came out, tush-first, my legs draped over my chest, my feet shaped like golf clubs and tucked behind my head, and my arms hugging my legs. What an entrance eh?
My story begins in 1973. I was born, handicapped, with a birth defect called spina bifida - the base of my spine didn't fully form during birth, and was partially on the outside of my body thru an opening in my lower back.
My first surgery was performed when I was only hours old, and then every week after that for 3 months, I had surgeries. My home for those first three months was a hospital bed and the OR, and my parents' home was the hospital chapel.
My skull was misshapen and they had to insert a shunt, a hollow tube, inside my skull to regulate the flow of fluids, as they didn't have anywhere to go freely because of my skull. The other end of it was put into my stomach. The condition which causes this (the buildup of fluid in the skull) is called hydrocephalus, commonly called "water on the brain".
During this time, I also inadvertently helped save a life. My grandmother at the time was an alcoholic. During the periods that I underwent surgeries, she prayed to God, saying: "Please God, let him live. If you let him live, I will never touch another drink again."
35 years later, she has never touched a drink since. -- The story of how I got my name, as do the previous several paragraphs sounds like a movie I know, but it's all true . An angel of the Lord came into my mom's room - this was before I was born - and appeared to her, telling her to give me the name I now have - Judah Elijah Stephens:
Judah - "praise" Elijah - "called of God" Stephens - "crowned" I was raised in a Christian home so I knew all about God and stuff, but i didn't get serious with my "walk" with God until my 12th birthday, in 1985, when for my birthday, my parents got me tickets to see one of my favorite Christian bands of the time, called Stryper (so named for the verse Isaiah 53:5 .. by His stripes we are healed). The letters of their band name spelled out an acronym which was: Strength Through Redemption Yielding Peace, Encouragement, and Righteousness.
They sang about kickin' the devil to hell, and being "Soldiers under God's command" and things like that, and that really got my interest, not just the music, but the message behind it. So, at the end of the concert they gave an altar call, and without any influence on my parents' part to go up, I went up by myself, and got serious about it and gave my life to God that night. And 24 years later, at 35, I'm still serving Him, and nothing will ever make me change my way of thinking or beliefs.
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if you'd like to ask me anything, about my disability or whatever, feel free to ask.
(I asked Judah what his shirt said, I am just one of those people that HAS to know:
"its a band t-shirt.. Christian rock group called Disciple".
Contact Information Email:
- Yahoo:
- nevercranky2much
- Windows Live:
- the_lion_of_judah@hotmail.com
- Website:
- http://www.angelfire.com/mi2/mrspeedy
He does amazing art too! Just look at them I couldn't choose my favorites...it was a hard one because I love them all!! These are all hand drawn and his personal designs. You can check more of them out on the link above to see his web site with all the drawings.
3 comments:
What a fabulous feature!
He has been through so much, and still smiling, very inspirational!
Hello. I just literally woke up from a horrific dream. It was the end of the world. Thousands of people in the part of the world where I was were gathered to avoid the happenings that were about to take place. One minute the world would be soaked underneath lava and another covered in snow and ice. It was so real, and I could feel everything, hot or cold. There were so many symbols and it was one of the most detailed dreams I've ever had. The sequence of events played out like a movie. In one scene I met a boy named "Judah Elijah". The name kept repeating itself in my head. I was initially attracted to this person and didnt know why. When I googled the name a little bit ago, I clicked this artcle. After reading the meaning behind those names Judah meaning "praise" and Elijah meaning "called of God". I don't know what this all means but now I'm thinking maybe God is trying to contact me through my dreams. In the end of the dream, we found the answer or "switch" to save the world. I lost the boy Juduh during the last attack of the dream. All the survivors in that part of the world were brought to a facility and name tagged in order so people could find their family and friends. When I finally got to the J's, Judah was no where to be found. Then suddenly a dark creature appeared before me hiding from everyone as if only I could see it. It had the same figure and appearance as the Judah in the beginning of the dream but this time was dark and evil. I don't know what to think of all this. If God is trying to send me a msg, he sure has. I'm a religious person who hasn't been to church in a long time. This whole ordeal has brought tears to my eyes after reading. I feel lifted. If you have any feedback on the story I've just told you, please contact me. My email is victoriam89@hotmail.com. thanks. god bless!
wow that is an expiring story. It just proves that no matter how you were born or your disability, you can accomplish anything in life. The name Judah is a great name for him.
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