| Finding Strength through the Fire of Affliction | | | | John talks about his spiritual journey as it deepened |
| LTJG John McCulloch awoke as a Filipino orderly | | | | during the hassles and difficulties during Johnny's early |
| urgently called his name, "Mister McCulloch, wake | | | | schooling. I experienced a father's pride as John told |
| up...you have an urgent message at the Message | | | | about Johnny's success in high school. Johnny became |
| Center." | | | | a member of the National Honor Society and was |
| John's emotions ran the gambit as he excitedly read | | | | privileged to be the senior class speaker at his |
| the telegram, "You are the father of a baby boy..." fear | | | | graduation. |
| gripped him as he continued "...however, there is | | | | Siblings, Bruce and Beverly, share their own stories. |
| something wrong and he is not expected to live. | | | | They tell of how their emotional and spiritual |
| Please come home immediately." | | | | development were impacted by Johnny's blindness |
| "Refined in the Furnace of Affliction" is written to | | | | Another blow came to the family when Johnny, at age |
| encourage readers who are going through trials to find | | | | 28, was struck by a vehicle and thrown 60 feet. The |
| their strength in God. This is John McCulloch's story, an | | | | accident resulted in a traumatic brain injury. At the time |
| autobiographical memoir demonstrating how | | | | the book was written Johnny was fifty years old and |
| devastating and heartbreaking circumstances can | | | | has been living in nursing care facilities since his |
| become opportunities for building a stronger character | | | | accident. |
| and a deeper faith. | | | | In early March of 2000, it was discovered that Sylvia |
| Baby Johnny was the victim of a head injury at birth | | | | had ALS. Church and family members ministered to |
| which resulted in hydrocephalus. Dr. John Adams, | | | | John and Sylvia with their prayer, comfort, and other |
| neurosurgeon, of the University of the California | | | | support. During the month of April the following spring |
| Medical School in San Francisco, performed surgery to | | | | Sylvia went to be with her Lord. |
| alleviate the pressure causing the trouble. After two | | | | This is not a book about blindness, hydrocephalus, or |
| more surgeries, over the next few months, the | | | | Lou Gehrig's disease but is the story of a family |
| Hydrocephalus crisis was successfully resolved. | | | | responding to these afflictions with positive results. |
| However, the pressure had damaged Johnny's optic | | | | McCulloch writes with fervor and candidness. He |
| nerve. He was legally blind before his second birthday. | | | | communicates a love for his family, and gives |
| I personally was drawn into John's story because of | | | | testimony of the positive message of a living Christ |
| parallels in my own life. I served in the U. S. Navy in the | | | | who sustains and strengthens people of faith in their |
| mid fifties, was married in 1956 and raised a family of | | | | every need. |
| four children over the same period as John and Sylvia | | | | "Refined in the Furnace of Affliction" is the story of |
| were having these same experiences. Their family | | | | how John McCulloch and his family met and faced |
| photo album was a walk down memory lane for me | | | | personal hardships and difficulties. It is a positive story |
| and reinforced my sense of personal interaction with | | | | of faith, perseverance, and testing. |
| the McCulloch family through John's writing. | | | | |