Another Supernatural & Funny Miracle from the Lord

 

Back in September of 2017, the freezer portion of our refrigerator started acting up. It wasn't freezing all the food. I didn't think it was that old, but we bought it in 1999.  We called our favorite repairman that we knew we could trust. He checked it out and for quite some time couldn't figure out what the problem was. Finally he told us that the fridge was dying and that it wasn't worth fixing it as it would cost more than to just get another one. That was really bad news because we couldn't afford a new one or even a used one. When I asked him how long we had till it would die completely, he scratched his head and told us that it should already be dead. That was what he couldn't figure out. He said there was no way that the fridge itself should work at all and that the freezer shouldn't be freezing anything instead of just freezing some things! I told him then that I knew why it was still working - it was because the Lord knew our financial circumstances and was keeping it going till we could get another one somehow. His eyes lit up when I said that and he said that was the only thing that made any sense to him for sure!  He warned us though that without God maintaining it that it could die at any moment (and should!).  Just to be sure, I also called a couple of other repair men and got their opinions. They said the same thing: it could and should die at any minute, and they too couldn't figure out why it was running at all.

Thankfully, we also have a very old freezer (at least 35 years old I'd say) that we bought years ago (2004) for just $35 dollars, and it still works great. So we put all our frozen food in it. But that was really inconvenient as that freezer is out on the porch. So little by little we'd bring in some meat and other things and put it in the freezer of the fridge to see what would happen.  We discovered that the freezer would freeze most meat just fine.  But it would only freeze the bottom layer of a package of hot dogs and not both for some reason. Nor would it freeze bread.  But it would freeze vegetables, but not french fries or pizza. It also won't freeze ice cream, but instead the ice cream comes out like soft serve.     So then we had about a weeks worth of meat in that freezer so we didn't have to keep going out to the porch every night.  

A couple of months after all that happened with the fridge, it suddenly started working right again! I was able to take everything out of our other freezer and put it in the refrigerator freezer again! Everything freezes exactly right, even the ice cream and french fries etc LOL We just thanked and praised the Lord and haven't looked back since! To be honest though, both the refrigerator part and the freezer part are now working better then they ever have!

In 2019 we called our repair man to look at our washing machine.  When he came to fix that, he again looked at the fridge. He called his adult son to come over and check it out too because they couldn't believe it was still running!

Well, now it's 2021, and the fridge is still working. But we have been able to save up enough money to get a new one, so in August, that's what we did. What's funny is that one week after we got the new fridge, our old freezer quit working!  I couldn't fault it at all considering how long that thing had worked for us. Let's see, it was 35 years old when we got it, and it worked for 17 more years after that!  That's 52 years!!!!  God is so amazing and takes such good care of us.  I loved being able to assure people that our fridge was still working for all those years and see the look on their faces.  God made sure it worked until we had the money to buy another one.  Yes, God is good, all the time!

Miracle upon Miracle

 

Since Bruce's motorcycle accident, we've had many miracles, the first being that he wasn't dead. That may sound like I'm just saying that, but the EMT's and doctors all expected him to be dead and when he wasn't they expected him to die. (and he had lots of doctors!) They did many tests because they couldn't believe the results, which said there wasn't anything major wrong with him. All he had was some broken bones and minor fractures, and one minor puncture wound. The worst thing to Bruce was all the horrible bruising. His whole body on the right side was totally black from bruises. They wouldn't believe him either that he wasn't in a lot of pain, so drugged him up unnecessarily. They thought he'd need to go into a nursing home but of course he didn't. He was fine. He just needed time to heal.

Of course, without an income while he was recovering, we should have had a great deal of trouble paying our bills. Some friends donated a total of $350 between May and June which helped, but was honestly only enough to pay one bill. We'd been through this before when he had a heart attack, but I wasn't worried. I knew the Lord got us through that, and would get us through this too. But I had no idea He would use such an unusual way of doing it! I managed to pay all our bills for May, partly because of the donations, and partly because I get $776 a month disability and because Bruce got one pay check that first week. (they hold back a week when you first start there). Where the rest of the money for our bills came from, I never have figured out, but it was there so I paid them.

Then came June and we got some help from the state with food stamps so I could use money I normally would spend on food for bills. Bruce's company was giving him a check for $40 each week to make sure his insurance stayed in effect, so we had that. Those things helped, although not enough to pay our bills. But somehow God managed to pay all our bills for that month by the end of the month, and they were all paid on time.

Then came July and I had the shock of my life. Bruce had started back to work, but wasn't working full time and missed more than he went at first. But at least it helped. Normally when I get my check and Bruce gets his first check for the month, we have enough money to pay our 3 biggest bills with some left over for food. We have NEVER, EVER been able to pay more than that the first week of the month. And Bruce wasn't yet working full time even! But the first week of July, I paid those 3 bills and we still had so much left over that I saw I could pay the next biggest bill, our propane, $229, so I paid that. I looked, and we still had enough to pay the electric another $200, so I did. Every time I looked, we had plenty of money left for food and for bills as well, so I just kept right on paying them. We have a total of 10 bills for every month and by the time I was done, I'd paid every single one and still had plenty left for food! I must have gone over my register and the bank account 3 or 4 times rechecking it because it was just so impossible, but every time it balanced and was right.  Since things we're often tight paying our bills when Bruce was making over $400 a week, what he was getting now that he was working part time didn't make much difference! It certainly didn't enable us to pay those bills! But God did!  The only way I can explain it is that it was like He multiplied the money. Each time I went to pay a bill, there would be enough for that bill and some food, then afterward, when I'd look again, there'd be still more, more then enough to pay another bill, and so on. So the bottom line is that in the first week of June, I paid all our bills for the whole month and had plenty for food!

The same thing happened in August, and I paid all our bills the first week of the month. Since my daughter's husband had been laid off, we now had plenty of money to help her with, because we didn't need any of it from the rest of Bruce's checks for that month! We basically gave her everything for the rest of the month, knowing that's why the Lord had blessed us as He did.

When I went to pay the bills for September, I only paid the first three plus one other as I wanted to make sure we had plenty for my daughter if she needed it, and she did. Again the Lord came through for us all!  What an awesome God we serve!!!!  If I ever worry about anything again for the rest of my life, someone should slap me!  And last night her husband got word that he'd been hired and starts on Monday, so they will once again have an income.  Bless You Gracious Lord!

A Truly Supernatural Miracle!

 

I hadn't thought about this miracle in a long time, but it's one of the most amazing ones the Lord gave me. I was about 12 years old when this happened. My Mom and I had gone back to Tucson as my Dad was taking my Mom to court over my custody. So my Mom was going to have me tell the judge that I wanted to live with her. My Mom arranged for us to stay with my Uncle and my cousins which was fine with me as I'd missed them a lot since we'd moved to Florida. But when we got there, only my cousin Eddie was there. Jeff and Kathy were both off somewhere else. Eddie was two years older than me, so he would have been around 14 then. I had brought my Bible because I was leaning on the Lord to give me His Words to speak in the courtroom, as I didn't want to hurt my Father or Mother. Even at that age I knew my Bible well and had read it from cover to cover more then once already.

After I'd told Eddie about the court thing and how I was counting on the Lord to help me, he told me about a problem he was having that really scared him. Apparently a much older and bigger teenage boy was harassing him to join his "coven". The boy told him he practiced black magic; used ouija boards, tarot cards, etc. Eddie said this guy really scared him and he didn't want to be part of it, but when he told the guy that, he threatened Eddie saying he had to join the coven "or else".  I told my cousin that he didn't have to worry about that guy because God would protect him and showed him the scriptures that talked about that.  I could tell that Eddie really wasn't convinced though.

The next day our parents went somewhere, leaving us home alone for a short time, and sure enough, that guy showed up at the door!  He rang the doorbell and then just let himself in!  He thought Eddie was home alone, but seeing me with him didn't give him cause for concern. We were both standing in the kitchen when he walked into the house. Between the kitchen and living room was a breakfast bar. This guy came inside but only walked about half way up to the breakfast bar.  The whole time he was demanding that Eddie come with him right now so he could be inducted into the coven. I could see that Eddie was too scared to act and that if I didn't do something he'd probably wind up going off with this jerk.  No way was I going to let that happen.  So if Eddie wouldn't call on the Name of the Lord, I would!  And I did!

All I did was point at the kid and say something like, "Get out of this house in the Name of Jesus" or "leave us alone in the Name of Jesus"... I can't remember anymore what my exact words were, other than that I used, "in the Name of Jesus", but it would have been something like one of those two sentences.  The only thing I expected to happen was that the kid would leave, that's all.  But that's NOT what happened.  Instead, as soon as I pointed at him and said that, he was picked up so that his feet were at least 6 inches off the floor and went flying backwards across the room until his back hit the wall next to the front door!  His face was as white as a sheet as he slid down the wall for a second till his feet touched the ground, at which point, he turned and ran out of the house as though he was on fire!  Eddie and I just stood where we were in the kitchen with our mouths hanging open as we watched what the Lord did to protect us.  I'm not sure which one of us was more amazed,  .  After that we talked about what happened of course and Eddie wondered what God would do when I went to court. I had no idea but didn't think He'd be throwing anyone around!

The next morning was my court date.  When we arrived the Judged called me to the stand, but as soon as he did, my Dad stood up and told him that he didn't want me put through that and that he was dropping his case. We were only there for maybe 5 minutes.  I hugged my Dad and he and my Mom made arrangements for when he could come to visit.  So the Lord answered my prayer as I didn't have to say anything that would hurt either of my parents.  God is good, ALL the time!

When/how I was saved

When/how I was saved

I'm not sure how, but somehow when I was just a toddler, I knew Jesus. My parents were atheists, so my knowledge of Him didn't come from them. My mother hated God and everything to do with Him because of bad experiences in the Catholic Church when she was a child. God was never discussed in our home, but somehow I knew Him, and I knew He was God, although I'm not sure if I actually knew those words yet. When I was about 4, I discovered that there were shows on TV about God in the morning when I woke up. So I would get up before my parents and turn those on and listen to them. When mama would wake up, she'd get angry and change the channel to cartoons and tell me she didn't want me watching that garbage. I don't think I understood much of it, though, all I knew was that I loved Jesus and that He loved me.

When I was only 12, I did talk my mom into getting me a bible and I read it constantly. But no one explained the gospel to me. No one taught me what everything meant. I tried very hard to find out on my own. Even though I was 12, I decided that I'd start going to Sunday School. I didn't want to start with the 6th grade though, as I assumed I wasn't ready for that since I didn't know the basics. I went to the 1st grade classroom for awhile, then the 2nd, etc. till I felt I had learned all they had to offer. Then I went to my own grade. But I still didn't know the gospel! Oh yeah, I knew the bible stories now, and that's a start anyway, but I didn't know the most important things of all! I was told that because I had prayed and wanted Jesus to be my Lord, that I was saved, so I assumed I was but no one really explained what it meant to be saved.

When I was 17 a friend from school invited me to a youth group where they were showing something by Hal Lindsey. That was where I learned about the rapture and I was so very excited about that! I couldn't wait for Jesus to come back! Yet I still wasn't sure what being saved was all about. I assumed it meant simply that I wanted to be saved and that I had made a promise to God to be good from then on. I didn't know anything about any part God was supposed to play in my salvation.

I struggled for years, all my teen years and the first few adult years, to "be good" so that I would go to heaven. I adored Jesus! But I couldn't live up to His standards. I finally gave up. I knew it was just impossible. So I told Him how sorry I was, and that I loved Him, and that I understood that I'd have to go to hell, but that was OK, cause I knew I deserved hell. I did presume to ask Him if I might just see His face one time before He sent me there though, and if maybe I could give Him a hug.

I lived most of the rest of my adult life with that thought. I still went to church every Sunday, I still read my bible, I still prayed. But I did it all with the knowledge that I'd never go to heaven. I only hoped that maybe my children might make it somehow. And I still loved Jesus with all my heart.

It wasn't until approximately 12 years ago, that the Lord in His great mercy, spoke to me and showed me the Truth. My life at that time was a total wreck. I desperately needed help and I wanted answers. I knew enough to know that the only real truth could be found only in the Bible, so that was where I turned, to the Bible and prayer. I pleaded with the Lord to help me, to show me what to do, and to show me why I couldn't be good enough for Him. The reason I asked Him why I couldn't be good enough for Him was because I wanted to know where I had gone wrong, and how other people did it.

I kept thinking about Peter and the other disciples and how they changed so much and lived victoriously after Jesus was resurrected. I felt like there had to be something I was missing because if they could change like that, then I should be able to as well-and yet I couldn't. What was the reason? What changed them?

I wanted to try one more time, but at the same time, I wasn't real sure the Lord would allow me to. I had gotten baptized when I was 12 and figured that every sin I committed after that moment was on my slate and I would have to pay for it in hell. I didn't think the Lord would let me get baptized again, but I had a faint hope that He might, since I was only a child then.... so I prayed and I read.

I immersed myself in my bible, and I started reading other Christian books as well including "Satan is alive and well on planet earth" by Hal Lindsey. While reading that book, Hal explained the gospel in it, and the light went on, and I understood!!!! My soul rejoiced and I cried and prayed and cried some more as I realized that I was saved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That He loved me too! That I didn't have to be "good enough" for Him!!!! That He took me as I was!!!! Oh the glory of that moment!!! Time stood still and when it started again my whole world and my whole life was changed. Instantly.

(and yes, I'm crying my eyes out right now just remembering this)

Later, much later, I asked the Lord, why it had taken me so long to learn the Truth. What I was really asking was "why didn't you tell me before!" The Lord showed me this verse:

Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

That last line just jumped right out at me and practically glowed!

Yes, I had sought Him before, many times, but never with my "whole" heart. All those other times, there were many other things that my heart felt were just as important...school, getting good grades, friends, raising my kids, day to day life, my job, money, fixing whatever current crisis my life was in at that time, etc. It wasn't until I literally laid it ALL down and made finding the Lord my top priority and my only priority that I found Him. If you read back to where I said I started searching and reading my Bible again, you'll see that this time, I wasn't running to God so that He would fix the crisis I was in or help me get a raise or anything else. Yes, my life was a total wreck, but I had finally come to understand that it was a wreck because I didn't have Him in my life. I knew that He was what I needed, more then health, more then money, more then making my kids obey me, more then anything.

Ever since that moment, my life has been filled with joy. Oh yes, there have been many times that I had problems and that I had to deal with grief and heartache, as well as all the normal day to day problems everyone has, as well as chronic pain. It wasn't an easy road to get my life turned around and put onto the right track, and I don't mean to imply that it was.

Beneath it all however was a joy that has never left me. Joy that one day I will see my Savior face to face and that I will get to spend Eternity praising Him! That joy is my strength even now and I know it always will be no matter what comes. People may fail me, loved ones may hurt me, problems will come, but Jesus will never leave me and that joy is there, deep in my soul.

Another thing changed in me at that moment when I was saved. I was immediately at peace with God. I had fought Him for so long that it actually felt strange at first, although welcome as well. It felt kind of like the world had been lifted off my shoulders, and I hadn't even realized I was carrying the world on my shoulders until it was gone. That peace has also stayed with me and never leaves. I didn't understand what that was either at first--I just enjoyed it. Now I know that peace is Jesus, because Jesus is our peace and He is the Prince of peace and He alone can give us His peace which passes all understanding. I think that's why it's so hard to describe, because it is beyond understanding and beyond words. It's not even really a feeling, it's just a reality that's there....

Some Angel Miracles

Since we're talking about angels, I'll tell a few of my angel encounters and try to keep them short lol Some of you have probably read the full accounts of these so forgive me for the editing I've had to do to shorten them.



I was in bed and feeling very depressed. I was only 18 but loved the Lord with all my heart. I felt that I had to obey my parents and also felt they wanted me to do something that was a sin. I prayed and cried and couldn't sleep. The next thing I knew there was this huge incredible angel sitting on my bed next to me. So close I could have touched him. I didn't though. I was awestruck and the most incredible peace descended on me...truly the peace that passes understanding and I went to sleep smiling. It was weird though, cause although a part of me was awestruck at seeing this angel, I "knew" that he wasn't important, that only the One who sent him was. It was an "inner knowing' that went without words...I really can't describe it. He left no doubt that he was there not for himself, but for the One who sent him!



It was winter and I had to go pick my daughter up from work that night. The roads were very bad and I had to go up and down several hills. I kept sliding over to the wrong side of the road and I was terrified! I wound up doing a 360 in the middle of the road and also threw my hands up in the air and cried out to God to save me. I too felt someone take hold of the wheel and watched it turn...my hands weren't touching it! The angel got my car over to the right side of the road, down the hill and pointing the right way, and then gently brought the car to a complete stop! I was bugged eyed by this time and just praising God!!!! I then continued safely to go get my daughter. I found out too that my car was the last one down the hill before the police closed the road!



I worked in health care for many years before I was disabled. One of my patients was elderly and very senile. No one could get her to take her meds. So before I went into see her the first time, I prayed and asked the Lord to help me get her to take them. Then I went into her room. The was rocking away and just smiling sweetly. I introduced myself and she told me that she knew I was there to try and make her take those meds. I told her that I would really appreciate it if she would and she pointed to a corner of her room (which was empty) and said "do you see them". "Who?" I asked. "The three angels there! she replied! They came and told me that I have to do what you say cause you care about me." I thanked God for helping me as she quietly and serenely took her meds. Never did have a problem with her!



When my 5th child, Jennifer, was born, she was 3 months premature, weighed just about 2 pounds and they first told me she wouldn't live. She did of course lol and that's another story all by itself!

She needed a blood transfusion right away due to being filled with infection. Plus, they said that most likely the only blood that would work would be her dad's because of how small she was, that she would most likely reject anyone else's. (the other kids and I didn't have her blood type) Well I had no idea where her "dad" was. My husband had abandoned us months ago and about the only thing I knew was that he wasn't in the state.

Then they told me that they weren't going to give her one because they said it would take so long to get the blood and prepare it etc, that by the time they got it to the NICU (newborn intensive care unit) she'd be dead anyway. The chances of her body not rejecting donor blood were minute too, they told me. So all things considered, they just didn't think it was worth the effort.

I had a fit and insisted that they get on the stick and order one immediately!!! When they finally did, it turned out that they didn't have her type of blood! It was right around midnight of the day she was born by now.

About 5 minutes after that, the charge nurse in the NICU got a call from the lab. A man that no one knew, walked in off the street and went to the lab. He told them he wanted to donate blood and he just happened to have the same type blood as Jennifer! (can anyone say "angel"?) So they got it from him, processed it or whatever they do with it and brought it upstairs and did the transfusion.

Her little body, not only didn't reject the blood, but she "lived" and she thrived! And all because some stranger walked into a hospital after midnight to donate blood...that just happened to be her type.

Now if that wasn't an Angel, then I don't know what an Angel is!There are pictures of her and her husband and her children in my photo albums in my profile. I'm pretty sure there's some of her from when she was born too.

Sorry, I couldn't shorten that one any more...That's enough for now anyway


 You know, we're all used to hearing of angels coming to "take us home", and they obviously do, but we tend to forget something else that's very important. Our Lord told us that He would never leave us, and He means exactly what He says. He doesn't leave us when we're dying and then show up again after we're dead. He's right there with us all the time, never leaving our side. But He's kind enough to sometimes allow us to see His angels first, before we pass over, to prepare us for actually seeing Him. Many of the people I've been with when they died saw angels first, but some of them saw the Lord first too.

Have you experienced or seen a major miracle?

The Lord has granted me so many outright miracles in my life that it just amazes me. Then of course there's His "regular" miracles that we see all the time, such as the miracle of a new infant when they're born, or the miracles in nature, etc. But the miracles I'm talking about here are the kind that can't be explained by any natural means; the kind where God has stepped in and intervened in your life or someone elses life in an obviously supernatural way. To me, it seems like the better I know Him the more often He does that. I thought it would be really encouraging for us if we shared some of those miracles with each other here. I know we're all going through hard times, and it helps strengthen us to carry on, when we remember what God has done for us in the past. 

 There is one miracle I don't think I've told before that happened to me when I was just a baby a few months old. Of course I don't remember it, but my mother told me about it several times. That in itself is a miracle since she spent her life angry at God and denying His existence for the most part. She told me that I had gotten sick and the doctor had done xrays and found a mass or tumor in my abdomen. Surgery was scheduled for the next day to remove it. I don't recall what she said the mass was...I think they didn't know for sure yet. I can only imagine now how she must have felt...her only child, just a few months old, with what she said was a very large mass in my abdomen and having to have surgery. This was back in 1956 so surgery was still considered very dangerous. I'm sure she was just terrified and in fact, she told me she was. Scared enough that she broke down and got on her knees and prayed to the God she hated for me. She said she laid her hand on my tummy and prayed all night for me kneeling next to me as I slept. The next day they did another xray before surgery at my mother's insistence and much to her total amazement and the doctors too, the mass was completely gone. She said that if the doctors didn't have the xray from the day before right there next to it, they wouldn't have believed it had ever been there! According to my mother, I also no longer had any of the symptoms I'd had from it before. So of course I was pronounced healthy and sent home with my mother. Why that didn't convince her of God's love for her, I don't know. But it was certainly a miracle as far as the doctors and my parents were concerned, and back then doctors weren't afraid to admit when they saw a miracle happen. 

I deleted the part about my mother that she also used to tell me that she was sure that the reason she was born and her whole purpose in life was simply to have me and raise me. 

 I could never really figure out why my mom hated God so much. A lot of times when she talked about it at all, which wasn't often, it seemed like her anger was mainly at the RCC and not really God at all. Then after the RCC, her anger seemed to be directed at the bible. I know she felt no one could really understand it. When she gave in and bought me my first bible when I was 11, it was a "children's bible." I devoured every page in it, since it was all I had, but really wanted a real bible and continued asking for one. She finally became exasperated with me and told me that she'd buy one for me when I could understand the children's one. I told her I already did and of course she didn't believe me. She flipped through it and picked out stories and asked me to explain them to her then and I did. To me, the meaning of the stories and what happened in them were just as obvious as any Dr Seuss book When she first started asking me questions, she was kind of antagonistic, but when she saw that I really did understand what I was reading, she became more curious then antagonistic. After that though, she only asked me about a few more. I got my real bible shortly after that though and began devouring it the same way.

A few months later she asked me if I really understood what was in the Bible, and again I told her that I really did, because I really thought I did. She asked me to explain several things to her and I did, but her last question, I felt I understood it, but I had a very hard time explaining it to her and I felt like I had failed. She asked me to explain what or who the Holy Ghost was. She never indicated that I hadn't explained it well enough or anything like that, but I felt that I hadn't.

Growing up, she encouraged me to sin in many ways because she disagreed that those things were sins. I never preached at her though, never condemned her or anything like that. I felt it was my job to simply answer questions when she asked them and try to live the way God said to. But I'd get into trouble when she'd tell me to do something that God said not to and had a lot of problems trying to work out for myself what I was supposed to do in cases like that since God said we're supposed to honor and obey our parents. By the time I was 16, I knew my bible like the back of my hand and had memorized a great deal of it. But my understanding wasn't right about sin. I didn't understand that Jesus had covered all my sins at that time. Mainly because I was teaching myself and had no one to help me.

But, I've gotta give her credit for one thing. She never tried to stop me from going to church, although she told me I'd have to get my own ride as she wanted to sleep in on Sundays. That wasn't hard to do though. And whenever I was being honored in some way at church, she always came to watch, but those were the only times she'd come. She never tried to get me to stop reading my bible or Christian books or anything like that. And she never put me down for any of it. Oh, she'd try and get me interested in "other things" but she never directly forbade me from going to church or studying my bible etc. The only time she in any way did something like that was when I wanted to go to Moody Bible college. She had told me she'd pay for my college education since I was a straight A student, but when I told her where I wanted to go, she said there was no way she'd ever spend a penny to send me there. I knew she desperately wanted me to go to college though, so I rebelled by simply saying, "fine, then I won't go to any college at all" and I didn't. I think she thought she'd get me to go after a year or so, and who knows, maybe she'd have even given in and let me go to Moody; but I'll never know because within a year she was quite sick with cancer and died another year later.

I've always believed she went to Hell, but several years ago now, the Lord told me not to be so certain, which really surprised me. He told me that I didn't know what had happened in my mothers heart or what she'd been thinking even the hours before she died, and that time was no problem for Him, because He could spend what for us was just a few minutes, and make it last for hours or months if need be for Him and her. I thought at first it was just wishful thinking on my part, but I'm sure now, it was the Lord who told me that. It may be wishful thinking that just maybe she'll be waiting for me in heaven, and I refuse to hold onto that wish very tightly. Instead I hold it loosely, knowing that if there was any possible way for the Lord to save her, that He would have done so, and she will be there; but that if she isn't there, it's not His fault and I wouldn't blame Him for a second if she's not. I felt very guilty for a long time, thinking that she was in hell because I hadn't done my job well enough. But the Lord let me know that simply wasn't true. That He never sends just one person, and a child at that, to tell someone about His Son, and that He really doesn't need anyone to tell others the Truth because He's perfectly capable of telling them Himself if need be. So, if she is in Hell, it's only because of her own choosing and is no fault of mine.

But, I've gotta say, if she is in heaven, that would be one fantastic miracle and I would rejoice and praise Him forever for it!

On Eagles Wings

On Eagles Wings

By Cynthia LaFreniere

January 2001

Back in October I had an incredible experience which I would like to share with you. I've been trying to figure out the best way to do that, and finally came to the conclusion that the only way to do it was to tell it just like it happened. On the morning of October 12th, I was driving to work.

As usual, I was praying and listening to praise and worship music. We live out in the country, so most of the roads are quiet with little traffic and woods on both sides. Getting closer to work, I felt prompted to pray for myself, as I was due to have a procedure done on my back in a few days. The procedure involved inserting two wires, and wrapping them around two of my disks. Then the wires are heated up and left there until they had melted my disks. Afterwords I would be in a brace for 6 months. I wasn't looking forward to it at all. The whole idea scared me, and I'm not into pain! It was only after a lot of prayer that I had decided to go ahead and have the procedure done. I really felt it was what the Lord wanted me to do, so I was determined to obey. So I began to pray, asking the Lord to divinely guide the doctor, the staff and everyone who would be involved in the procedure, and to use it to bring about a total healing of my back.

No sooner had I gotten those words out of my mouth, than I saw a large bird lift up off the ground on the left side of the road. The bird flew toward my car and landed with wings outstretched, on the hood in front of the windshield.



It was a huge and magnificent eagle! I couldn't believe it! All I could say was "Oh Wow Lord!" It was as if time stood still. What was in reality probably a second, seemed to last for several minutes. The Eagle was so close, I could make out the tiniest details of his feathers.

This seemed to last for several minutes, although I know it couldn't have. The eagle was obviously blocking my view of the road but for some reason that never occurred to me. Nor did it occur to me to be scared.

The instant the eagle landed on the hood a verse from the Bible exploded into my mind It was Isaiah 40: 31. "Those who put their hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint." Seeing the eagle and the verse coming into my mind both happened simultaneously. (Although I had heard this verse before, it was not one I had committed to memory) All I could do was repeat, "Wow Lord!" and cry as my heart swelled with love and thankfulness, that God would care enough about me to send me such a mind-boggling sign. Then the eagle lifted and flew off to the right.

I spent the rest of the ride to work praising the Lord! By the end of the workday however, doubts were entering my mind. I couldn't possibly have seen what I saw; but I did! It couldn't have really been an eagle, it must have been some other kind of bird--one found in abundance in our area.

I decided to look up birds on the Internet when I got home. After all, I'd had a very close up view of the bird so I'd definitely be able to identify a picture of it! I figured the easiest way to do it, would be to rule out eagles right off the bat, so I looked them up and found some close up pictures of them. Much to my continued amazement, I discovered that it really had been an eagle!

I of course I thanked the Lord all over again- and asked Him to forgive me for my doubts! The following week I went in to have the procedure done. When I was out from under the anesthesia, the doctor told me that everything had gone very well. He said it was really strange though because when he went to wrap the wires around my disks, it was like someone was inside of me guiding the wires for him! He said nothing like that had ever happened to him before! Since the procedure, I have healed very quickly, not even needing the narcotic pain relievers after the first two weeks! The doctor continues to be amazed at my recovery, saying they have never had anyone do so well. God has indeed renewed my strength, and my hope continues to be in Him. It is my prayer that the Lord will use this testimony to bring you hope and encouragement. May God Bless you always. Sincerely. Cindy

October 2001

Since writing this in January, I have had some major setbacks in my recovery. The Lord has continued to assure me of His love and that He will heal me. He just hasn't said when, and I realize it might not be until I get to heaven. Whenever I begin to feel depressed or upset about the continuing pain, I remember the eagle, and think now that perhaps this is why the Lord sent me such an amazing sign. In His wisdom, He knew I would need something like that to keep my faith and spirits up. What a good God we have! He is such a good and loving Father! I also confess that I have become much closer to Him throughout this experience. I don't think that would have happened if I had been healed immediately. I admit that I have been a stubborn and very active person, so all good intentions aside, I truly don't think I would have taken the time to study the Word, pray and worship any where near as much as I have, if I had been able to go back to work and lead a normal life right away. I have come to trust and believe my heavenly Father and know that He will do what He has said, and that He knows what is best for me. Therefore, I thank and praise Him for all He has taught me and shown me during this time, and look forward expectantly every day for the good gifts He gives me.

Now I too can relate and say Amen to these verses:

Daniel 3:17 "If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18. "But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.''

1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ

My faith does not "require the Lord to heal me. I will worship, praise and trust Him regardless of that! He IS Good, all the time!!!!!


March 2002

After my initial quick recovery, my back began to get worse. Even more disks became herniated and began degenerating, causing me a great deal of pain. At first I kept asking the Lord to keep His promise and heal me as He said He would. Finally I heard His reply. He never said He would heal me physically—just that He would be with me and turn all things for my good. He had also given me the last part of this verse when I first hurt my back: Daniel 12:13 "; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.'' So I knew I was supposed to “rest” and not worry about working or money etc. (Talk about a hard lesson to learn!) The Lord reminded me of all I had learned since being injured; of the great deal of time I now spent reading His word and in prayer; of all the deep emotional wounds He had been healing in me during this time. I knew that none of this would have happened if I was healthy and able to work. I would have been too busy. I feel the Lord sent that eagle to be a reminder to me of His constant love, so I would have something tangible to hold onto as time went on, and I wasn’t “healed” from the physical problems.

December 2008:

I learned many years ago that when the Lord said He would heal me that he wasn't just referring to my physical body, although that is what I took it to mean at first. Instead the Lord has healed my spirit and soul, my heart and my emotions. He has built me up in Himself and given me more then I could have ever asked for through a much closer relationship with Him. I wouldn't trade that for a healed body, no matter how much money someone offered me! The eagle He sent me however has always been something that I could hold on to when I was in pain, to remember without a doubt that the Lord is indeed with me, that He loves me, and that all things will be worked together by Him for my good. Thank You Lord!

May 2012
Isaiah 40: 31. "Those who put their hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint."
Before my hope was in being healed, in what I wanted, not what He wanted and not just Him. He wanted me to put my hope in Him...for all things, not just having the pain stop. And because of that pain, I've learned to trust Him and that the things we see in this life as "bad" aren't always really "bad" at all. Instead, they can actually be good. Through the daily pain, I've come to know and trust my Lord completely and I get closer to Him every day. I have to rely on Him, because there is no human that can help me and I certainly cannot help myself. Reading back over this, I've seen even more clearly how much He's taught me over these years and how far I've come from where I was. I can't begin to thank Him enough for all the changes He's made in me and all the ways He's healed me both emotionally and spiritually. No, there's been no physical healing--in fact my physical problems continue to get worse; but because of them and because I've learned to rely on Him, I can now comfort others who live with pain. He's given me wonderful resources to help as I study His Word with Him every day and I had to laugh when I looked up what the commentaries said about the verse He'd given me:

There is a general principle here that patient, praying believers are blessed by God with strength in their trials (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:8–10 — Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.). The MacArthur study Bible

The word “renew” means “to exchange,” as taking off old clothes and putting on new. We exchange our weakness for His power (2 Cor. 12:1–10). As we wait before Him, God enables us to soar when there is a crisis, to run when the challenges are many, and to walk faithfully in the day-by-day demands of life. It is much harder to walk in the ordinary pressures of life than to fly like the eagle in a time of crisis. Be comforted. An Old Testament study.

All I can say to that is, Amen and thank You Lord!

Oh how I love Jesus!

My parents were atheists, so the only knowledge I had of Jesus and the Gospel came from church. Although I was only 12, I did talk my mom into getting me a bible and I read it constantly. But no one explained the gospel to me. No one taught me what everything meant. I tried very hard to find out on my own. Even though I was 12, I decided that I'd start going to Sunday School. I didn't want to start with the 6th grade though, as I assumed I wasn't ready for that since I didn't know the basics. I went to the 1st grade classroom for awhile, then the 2nd, etc. till I felt I had learned all they had to offer. Then I went to my own grade. But I still didn't know the gospel! Oh yeah, I knew the bible stories now, and that's a start anyway, but I didn't know the most important things of all!

I struggled for years, all my teen years and the first few adult years, to "be good" so that I would go to heaven. I adored Jesus! But I couldn't live up to His standards. I finally gave up. I knew it was just impossible. So I told Him how sorry I was, and that I loved Him, and that I understood that I'd have to go to hell, but that was OK, cause I knew I deserved hell. I did presume to ask Him if I might just see His face one time before He sent me there though, and if maybe I could give Him a hug.

I lived most of the rest of my adult life with that thought. I still went to church every Sunday, I still read my bible, I still prayed. But I did it all with the knowledge that I'd never go to heaven. I only hoped that maybe my children might make it somehow. And I still loved Jesus with all my heart.

It wasn't until approximately 12 years ago, that the Lord in His great mercy, spoke to me and showed me the Truth. My life at that time was a total wreck. I desperately needed help and I wanted answers. I knew enough to know that the only real truth could be found only in the Bible, so that was where I turned, to the Bible and prayer. I pleaded with the Lord to help me, to show me what to do, and to show me why I couldn't be good enough for Him. The reason I asked Him why I couldn't be good enough for Him was because I wanted to know where I had gone wrong, and how other people did it. I wanted to try one more time, but at the same time, I wasn't real sure the Lord would allow me to. I had gotten baptized when I was 12 and figured that every sin I committed after that moment was on my slate and I would have to pay for it in hell. I didn't think the Lord would let me get baptized again, but I had a faint hope that He might, since I was only a child then.... so I prayed and I read.

I immersed myself in my bible, and I started reading other Christian books as well. I honestly can't remember which book I was reading, although I think it was "Satan is alive and well on planet earth" by Hal Lindsey. I know that whichever book I was reading it was one of Hal's. Anyway, he explained the gospel in it, and the light went on, and I understood!!!! My soul rejoiced and I cried and prayed and cried some more as I realized that I was saved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That He loved me too! That I didn't have to be "good enough" for Him!!!! That He took me as I was!!!! Oh the glory of that moment!!! Time stood still and when it started again my whole world and my whole life was changed. Instantly.

(and yes, I'm crying my eyes out right now just remembering this)

Later, much later, lol, I asked the Lord, why it had taken me so long to learn the Truth. What I was really asking was "why didn't you tell me before!" The Lord showed me this verse:

Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

That last line just jumped right out at me and practically glowed!

Yes, I had sought Him before, many times, but never with my "whole" heart. All those other times, there were many other things that my heart felt were just as important...school, getting good grades, friends, raising my kids, day to day life, my job, money, fixing whatever current crisis my life was in at that time, etc. It wasn't until I literally laid it ALL down and made finding the Lord my top priority and my only priority that I found Him. If you read back to where I said I started searching and reading my Bible again, you'll see that this time, I wasn't running to God so that He would fix the crisis I was in or help me get a raise or anything else. Yes, my life was a total wreck, but I had finally come to understand that it was a wreck because I didn't have Him in my lfe. I knew that He was what I needed, more then health, more then money, more then making my kids respect me, more then anything.

Ever since that moment, my life has been filled with joy. Oh yes, there have been many times that I had problems and that I had to deal with grief and heartache, as well as all the normal day to day problems everyone has. It wasn't an easy road to get my life turned around and put onto the right track, and I don't mean to imply that it was. Beneath it all however was a joy that has never left me. Joy that one day I will see my Savior face to face and that I will get to spend Eternity praising Him! That joy is my strength even now and I know it always will be no matter what comes. People may fail me, loved ones may hurt me, problems will come, but Jesus will never leave me and that joy is there, deep in my soul.

Broken Dreams

Dear Friend,
There's so much I wish I could share with you. I'm sure we've both had to deal with a lot of pain and heartache in our lives. What I want you to know is that there is also a lot of joy. Has life just punched you out one to many times that you didn't know where to turn or what to do? In my struggles --about 11 years ago, I finally turned back to my Bible to look for some answers. I started praying and asking God to teach me how to pray and how to live and how to do His will. Years passed and I made many more big mistakes as I tried to deal with what life handed me.

At the same time however, I realized that God was answering my prayers and I was learning. I began to learn that most of the garbage I was going through was due to my own mistakes and sins of both the past and the present. One of the first things I did was to get rid of all the New Age stuff and books I had accumulated, as I'd learned from the Bible how terrible that stuff is in God's sight. I began asking Him to forgive me for all my sins. I really had no excuse. I'd known the Bible before. It just hadn't seemed "personal" before. It had seemed more like a history book, not one that was written for and about me. I had always felt that there was no way I could live up to God's expectations. I'd try and then get so frustrated and depressed because I just couldn't do it.

I didn't understand then that God didn't expect me too. I felt a lot like Humpty Dumpty. Both my whole life and me were in a lot of broken pieces and no one could ever put them back together again. Then one day I finally discovered the truth that Jesus had died to cover all my sins-past. Present and future, not just some of them! I discovered that He could and would restore all that I had lost over the years. He could put the pieces back together again! I was thrilled! I felt 'clean' for the first time ever! I had a clean slate and could now start over, and even the mistakes and sins I committed from now on would be covered!

Then God showed me how He would actually give me His power to do His will! Now it wasn't me trying to do things on my own-it was God living in me doing His will! It was awesome. I discovered that God was every bit as powerful now as He was in "Bible Times".

He still worked miracles on a regular basis, and still changed the lives of His people for the better! He still talks to people, even everyday kind of people like me! I began to learn more of just how great, good, deep and compassionate, His love is for His children. I began to understand that He loves to give His children good gifts and blessings, but because He is a Righteous and Just God, he cannot bless us when we are disobedient to Him. So the more obedient we became, the more He blessed us.

I learned that once you have asked Jesus to come into your heart and be your personal Lord and King, and to forgive your sins, He forgives them all, and begins to bless our lives. He does however expect us to turn from our sins and do our best to live in a way that is honoring to Him. Then He even helps us do it! He died an agonizing death on a cross, just so He could forgive your sins. (and mine) He knew all about you, even then. He thought of you, and gave His life, so you wouldn't have to.

You may think that going to church can't help you, and you're right. Church, in and of itself, can't help anyone. Jesus can. Jesus changes lives. Jesus brings hope where there is none, and God can make a way where there is no way. I know that as an absolute fact. He did it for me. A church building is just where people who know Jesus, get together to worship Him, learn more about Him and His Will and plan for them. It's where people who love the Lord can meet together to give moral, spiritual, physical, and material support to each other. It's where people who love the Lord can get together with the rest of their family-because in Christ we are truly family to each other and love each other as such. Some churches reflect that love better than others. We have been blessed to be part of a church that is filled with people honestly trying to reflect the love of Christ in every aspect of their lives.

I've learned that there is a big difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Him personally. Before, my life was a constant struggle to prove that I deserved to be loved. Now I live as someone who can celebrate the truth of my belovedness every day. The first time I felt the Lord's love for me personally, I was so overwhelmed! It was awesome! Slowly I came to realize that I could trust Him, that He wasn't going to abandon me. I learned to trust His word and know it for the Truth. The Bible became a long collection of love letters that the Lord had written just for me. He showed me in His Word that He forgives all my sins, heals all my diseases, redeems my life from the pit, (and I was in a deep one!) and crowns me with love and compassion. He satisfies my desires with good things so that my youth is renewed like the eagles. (that's in Psalm 103:3-5) He daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves! (Psalm 68: 19-20) He says that He will contend with those who contend with me and that He will save my children. (Isaiah 49:25) He promises to help and strengthen us.

I went from a knowledge that God could do all these things (and much more) to an awestruck understanding that He will do them and He wants to do them for us! One of my favorite promises from Him is in Jeremiah 29: 11. He says, "1 know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." I am just so grateful to Him for all He's done for me, and all He continues to do, I could praise Him forever! That's why I wanted to share Him with you. What He's done for me, He'll do for you. You just have to ask Him to be Your Savior.

(this was originally written back in 2001)