DCM
Daniel McAdoo
Portrait of Love
I grew up in a small town, going to church every Sunday with my parents and three older brothers. My dad would draw with me during the services to keep me from crawling under the pews. Like most kids I would draw or color every chance I’d get. It came as no surprise when my parents caught me drawing on my brother’s face. I think I gave new meaning to the term “face painting” until my parents took the paint roller from me!

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I attended church every Sunday until the age of 8 when my life was turned upside down! I had gotten into a fight on the school bus with an upper classmate. He had slammed my head against the bus window. Getting into fights wasn't uncommon for me. I went home like nothing ever happened awaiting the phone call from a parent or principle telling my parents, "your son got into another fight!" I went to bed that night. I couldn't believe I got away with that one! After I had gone to bed that evening, I had a seizure. My parents rushed me Clarion Hospital where I was then taken by ambulance to Dubois Hospital in Pa. I was admitted and spent the next two weeks there. In those two weeks I lost the ability to walk, dress myself, speak fluently, feed myself, and even hold a pencil. The Doctors diagnosed me with having an allergic reaction to animals. I was released but my condition continued to worsen. That didn't seem possible! My parents took me to Franklin Hospital in Pa, where they referred me to the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
Little did I know the Clinic would be my home off and on for the next year. Mom would stay with me during the week and Dad would drive out after work on Fridays for the weekends. I would wake up the morning before having a test or surgery crying and screaming, I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!! A nurse would always rush in and hold me until I'd settled down. After having many tests the team of doctors walked into my room with my parents sitting there. They had a diagnosis. I asked, "AM I GOING TO DIE"? They proceeded to say, No, you are not going to die, you have Wilson's disease. Your organs contain too much copper and you can't dispose of it. There is no cure but there is a medication and a low copper diet you will need to be on the rest of your life. You will get better but we are uncertain to what extent. The copper has over taken your body leaving damage to your organs. You were born with this; the symptoms don't normally show up until you are an adult. The fight I was in brought the illness to the surface and possibly saved my life. It seemed like it took a year to gain all my motor skills back. I was placed in the gifted art program after returning to grade school. Not that I had talent, it was more of the means physical therapy.
After I had gotten better, I didn't go back to church. I had become very upset with God. I couldn't imagine what I had done so wrong to deserve to this! I was just a kid and don't all kids get into trouble? I met other people with Wilson's disease. You couldn't tell they had it. I became even angrier because you could see something was obviously wrong with me. I was told I would never be able to drive (let alone drive a standard shift) or even make it in college. I got my drivers license when I became of age. I drove to town on the weekends to visit my grandma. She told me the church had been praying for me. I didn’t take it to heart back then. She was always telling me about the Lord and church. I didn't pay much attention. When I turned 18 I began going to church with my grandmother. I was baptized In November 1994 when I was 19. I didn't know much about God or his salvation. Even though I thought I knew it all back then. I was in and out of many churches not knowing I was walking in darkness. In November of 1997 I was in a church and the pastor was talking about salvation. I went home not understanding the message. I went back the next Sunday to the same church. There was another message on Salvation. I didn't understand it but I knew I wanted it!! I surrendered to the calling of the Holy Spirit and started a relationship with Christ that day! I went home and dusted off the Bible my grandma had gotten me. I read the entire New Testament within a few months. I began asking God to show me His will. It didn't take long for him to answer that. He laid it on my heart that he wanted me to attend college and study art. I thought God was out of His mind! I wasn't college material. I believed the lies I had heard "you will never make in college." Well, I made it to college and even made the Dean's list. I Graduated from Clarion University receiving a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree in painting and sculpture in 2003. While in college I joined the campus ministries and grew a lot in the Lord.
Moriah
Moriah
Around 1998, my church family and I began praying for direction in my life. You know career, wife, etc. We prayed for a wife for nearly 14 years. I gave up praying for a wife in 2011. March of 2012 I was in a local church painting murals, when I noticed this beautiful red haired young lady named Erin. I had given up on looking for a relationship so I wasn’t interested. I thought it would be nice to have a friend to hang out with, however. I invited her to a Bible study I had attended on Friday nights. She wasn’t able to make it. We ended up getting together at my place a few times. One evening after dinner we sat on the back porch where I shared my testimony and some tears. Even though I had just met the most compassionate young lady, my mind was saying "No"! I prayed about Erin and what I needed to do . Sunday morning after praying I felt a prompting in my heart to marry her. I told the Lord, "No way"! I fought it all day. Monday morning I surrendered to the Lord and said, "ok in your timing I will marry her". As I surrendered an overwhelming peace come over me. Four months later on September 22, 2012, Erin and I shared wedding vows (and kissed for the first time). I wish I had the words to describe all that she means to me. I now understand what people mean when they say they do not have the words. "Amazing gift from heaven" doesn't scratch the surface. If you know her heart like I do you would understand.
I pray to the Lord today. You never know whose life it may change or what mountains it may move. I know the Lord answers prayer, I am living proof. I Praise the Lord for everyone's prayers! Without them I wouldn't be here today. There is no mountain God can't move. We are not promised tomorrow, that is why we need to walk boldly and pray before the Lord today. I Praise the Lord for blessing me with a loving family and loving church family and a place where I call home.​
