Lights out! -SkyWatch Friday

Time for another angel story! This one comes from Charlotte, who gave me permission to tell her story.

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One very dark night, Charlotte and her husband Bill were driving home through a mountainous region in California known as Malibu Canyon. In those days the road was extremely dangerous, sporting only two lanes, no guard rails or lights, with a sheer drop to the canyon floor below.

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They had just driven into the most dangerous area of the road, when suddenly their car lights went out! It was a moonless, wet, wintry night, and they could not see the road ahead. With their vehicle's lights off, the oncoming cars would not be able to see them coming. It was a situation which could end in the worst kind of disaster.

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Charlotte must have been terrified. She wrote, "...so I prayed for the lights to come on, and they did." Inexplicably the car's lights stayed on until they drove out of danger. When they were safely through the canyon, the lights went out again--forever.

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The next day, an astonished mechanic told Charlotte's husband Bill, there was no way the lights could have come back on again--the electrical was cut clear through.

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Charlotte believes there were angels holding those wires together, and writes, "...just hope they didn't singe their wings!"

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Angels are indeed watching over us!

If you love clouds as much as I do--join Skywatch Friday to see all the amazing things to be found by looking up.  Have a lovely day and Happy Skywatch Friday!

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Angels in the Sky -SkyWatch Friday

Two weeks ago yesterday, I was working on the computer when the smoke alarm went off.  At first I thought it was something in the kitchen, but then I realized it was our wood stove and there was a chimney fire.

I yelled for my husband to call 911.  Then I grabbed a bucket, filled it with water and doused the fire in the wood stove.  As I shut it up tight, a plume of steam raced up the chimney.  This was the best thing I could have done, I'm told, as the steam likely slowed the fire down until the fire trucks could get there.

In fact, the fireman told us the wall was minutes away from bursting into flame.  A miracle indeed.

A couple nights after the fire, I could not sleep.  I wandered the house, not knowing why I did.  I noticed an awful aroma in the back of the house--it smelled like rotten beetles.  It took me a bit to discover the aroma came from closet under the stairway, and when I opened the door there was smoke.  Apparently one of the breakers in the breaker box there had overheated and melted.  It was likely on fire, but contained by the metal box.  My husband was able to contain it and we were safe.  This was totally unrelated to the chimney fire.  Again, we were protected.

The next morning as the cleaning crew arrived, I saw some amazing clouds in the sky, so I ran outside to take a few pictures.  Later as I looked at the photos on my computer I was astonished to see what looked like two angels hovering over the trees.

Here is a closeup of them.  Astonishing, isn't it?  With the events of the past three weeks, I am just sure they are our guardian angels.

If you love clouds as much as I do--join Skywatch Friday to see all the amazing things to be found by looking up.  Have a lovely day and Happy Skywatch Friday!

Angels on the Highway

The evening after we returned from our 30th anniversary celebration, I received a message that our friends in Carson needed me to speak for their Mother/Daughter tea--their speaker had become ill and was not going to make it.

I almost said no, because I suddenly had the strong impression if I went, I would be in grave danger.  Yet something inside me knew I must say yes.  So I did, but not before asking everyone I knew to pray for safety on the road.

I had one day to prepare.  They wanted to know if I could bring my Mom, so I asked Mumsie if she'd like to come with me.  I was delighted when she said she could.  Time with Mumsie is to be treasured, even in heavy traffic!  Traffic in Portland was congested and slow.

I was in the middle lane, cars on both sides, when I noticed the man in the big SUV on my right was drifting into my lane.  It didn't seem real, when suddenly he swerved at me--he didn't even look to see if anyone was in his way.

Just in time, the car on my left sped up, so I was able to swerve into the left lane, while laying on the horn.

That SUV had come to within an inch of the side of my car.  Mumsie could not believe he'd come that close without actually hitting us.  Mom and I were both shaking, as the man backed off and pulled in behind us.

Only supernatural intervention could have saved us.  It was SUCH a close call.

But then less than a minute later, ANOTHER car--a big old boat of a car tried to pull in front of me into a space that wasn't there--as he did so, the car in front slammed on their brakes. Mom was saying, "Slow down, slow down," as I miraculously missed hitting the back left-hand side of that idiotic young man's bumper.

Once again, we were safe.  Both Mom and I distinctly felt Angels all around us.  Watching--keeping us from harm.

I slowed to a crawl, grabbed Mom's hand and I cried.  The big silver SUV was still behind us at a discreet distance, following us onto The Dalles freeway.

Then traffic slowed once more.  The SUV changed lanes to pass us. 

Said I, to Mumsie.  "I am going to give that guy the 'Mommy look.'"

I slid my glasses to the end of my nose and as that man passed us, he looked over at me.  I gave it to him both barrels.  His mouth opened into an O, his eyes were huge and he looked terrified.  We followed him at a discreet distance, until he suddenly crossed three lanes of traffic to take the next exit.

When we arrived in Carson, Mumsie and I were not surprised to hear that, at the time we faced that great danger, several of the ladies had been led to pray. 

Astounding.  But not surprising.  There was a feeling that we had avoided an evil attack of some kind--that there were invisible forces all around us, fighting and protecting us from an awful fate.

I know it was my destiny to speak that day.  Something didn't want me to get there.

I believe what I was led to say made a difference in many lives.  I am grateful to God for His protection and for our beautiful friends in Carson.

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Woodland Protector

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I think I was around 12 when it happened. My siblings and I, along with our cousins were all set to go down to Deer Valley. It was a favorite place of ours, where the mud flats created from the bubbling spring formed next to a stream where huckleberries grew on a giant log bridge span. We would build forts from fragrant fir and cedar branches. We gloried in exploring the surrounding woods.

                       

But this day was different. We stood in the sunshine at the road at the top of the trail and a darkness seemed to fall over the forest. Each of us, as we'd start toward the trail to Deer Valley, felt an uneasy fear and a curious reluctance to go down that trail and would turn back. It was as though there were an invisible wall through which we could not pass.

Finally we gave up trying. For all seven or eight of us to agree to that was a bit of a miracle in itself! But we did and we all trouped back to the house where we played games in the big circle lawn instead.

Later we talked about what happened--it was then we realized we'd all had the same strange uneasy feelings. We had all felt an invisible wall had been erected at the top of the trail. It was as though an angel barred our way, to keep us out of harm's way.

Years later Mom told me about a car chop shop located just a few yards from the trail to Deer Valley. Police had stormed the woods and several people had been arrested. It was functioning right around the time we were kept from going down into the woods. The criminals had a sophisticated operation going, they'd even cut down trees and put a driveway into the wooded area so they could not be seen.

For years I've wondered what terrible danger we would have dealt with that day if we hadn't been stopped in our tracks. Though sometimes I get really curious, I thank the Lord for protection from the danger we never had to face.

Sissy's Prayers

We were returning from five-day trip to Spokane.  We had an eight hour drive ahead of us.  But near Noon, we noticed the heat of the engine was rapidly rising to the critical line.  We were able to add coolant before any damage was done--we were SO close to blowing the engine--we could hear the radiator bubbling and blowing.

A couple hours later, after lunch with friends, we were on the road again--but somehow we missed our cutoff and we were lost.  As we were finding our way, a woman in the lane next to us pulling a trailer of her own, nearly took us off the road.  She was holding her cell phone to her ear--she didn't seem to notice how close she'd come to becoming another statistic.

We arrived home safely.  Ah, it was so good to be home!

This morning I called Sissy to see how she was doing.  I was astonished when she asked if something had happened around Noon and then again around 2 p.m.?  I was speechless.  She'd had a heavy heart and a need to pray for us right when we were in danger.  So amazing--a beloved Sister's prayers--the powerful intervention of angelic forces.

I caught one of those angels in the skies--can you see her?  She followed us all the way to Oregon.  All the while she flew alongside, I was reminded we were traveling safely in God's hands.  Little did I know Sissy's prayers were winging their way to heaven.  Her heart was with us as we drove that long road home.

Dangerous Encounter

True life can sometimes be stranger than fiction. In the late 1990's we lived in Oregon, near Highway 99, which runs through Newberg and McMinnville. I loved to go to McMinnville to a restaurant which made their own luscious donuts.

One morning, I went to pick up a raft of those fragrant beauties to serve a work party we were having at our home later that morning. Odd thing--I even remember what I was wearing--a jean dress with red roses hand-painted on the scoop-necked bodice.

I was in line with a group of customers waiting to be served. I laughed and joked with some of them--they loved the donuts, too. A man came in to stand at the end of the line. He was slightly built, wore jeans, a plaid shirt and a light colored windbreaker.

I made my purchase, walked out to the van, got inside--turned to settle the bag of donuts on the seat beside me, glanced out the driver's side window and screamed. The man stood with his face so close to the van window, I could see the pupils contracting in his icy blue eyes. He must have followed behind me within inches, as I left with my purchases.

I was going to open the door, but instead my fingers hit the door locks. I was shocked because that wasn't what I'd intended to do. At first I flushed with embarrassment. But then I realized I was shaking.

Taking a deep breath. I rolled the window down a fraction and said, "I'm sorry, you startled me. Can I help you?"

Without any expression he said, "You are a very attractive woman." His voice had a curious monotone--no inflection to his tone, no warmth in his face.

In fact, the man's eyes were glacial. I replied shakily, "My husband would thank you." He said something else I can't remember and I told him I had to leave. My hands shook so I could hardly put the key into the ignition.

He stood watching me, as I backed the van away from the curb. I was shivering. His eyes had been devoid of any feeling--they were empty, dead--like looking into the eyes of a shark. I felt like I'd made contact with some kind of monstrous darkness. I knew a supernatural presence had kept me from opening that van door and I never forgot that strange encounter.

A few years ago, I picked up one of those true crime books at our local used bookstore. It was the story of the Green River Killer--a hideous monster of a man who had preyed upon women for years, murdering them in cold blood. He had finally been caught.

I turned to the pictures in the middle of the book and screamed. It was him. It was that man who had frightened me so badly at the donut shop. He wore the same plaid shirt, the same thin windbreaker.  His eyes were the same.  In her book, the author wrote that around the time of my encounter, the man and his unsuspecting wife often traveled I-5 and Highway 99 to various swap meets.

I firmly believe an angel guided my fingers to lock the doors of the van that day. How I thank God for His protection. I shudder to think what could have happened without His supernatural intervention.

Angels--our God-given protectors. I wonder how many times we walk through our lives, unaware of their protection and guidance?