Portuguese: POR ONDE CAMINHAM OS ANJOS (WHERE ANGELS WALK)
A crease in the front cover. $15 includes postage

Last week I printed an essay that angel author Lorna Byrne had written, and asked what you thought of it. Such a good response, but most important, everyone was kind and spoke thoughtfully. Instead of a story this week, I’ll send these on to Lorna, and post them for you. I did not include your names, since I didn’t ask for permission.

—This article brightened my day! I believe with my whole heart that it is true.

—-Thank you for recommending Lorna Byrne. I watched each of her video interviews on her website. Have you met her? If so, what were your impressions?
If you have an opportunity to contact her, please recommend that she go to Confession each week if possible, just as the Pope does, for the same reasons the Pope does. She is in a ministry where she would need all the spiritual help she can get

—-I loved this! I am Catholic and our parish and several others of different faiths take turns holding services where we ALL pray together, and those are my favorite services, all different faiths but all praying to the same God.

—-I think this is awesome. Thanks for sharing!!

—-Thanks for printing this article as I have no access to the Hunffington Post. I’ve been following Lorna on Twitter, read both her books, have her meditation CD and have ordered her next book.

—-I think her words are inspiring! You do an amazing service to us all by posting all the great stories and anecdotes about angels. Thank you ever so much.

—-I don’t know; call me skeptical when someone includes Unitarians and Muslims among the saved. It’s like saying Jesus’ sacrifice was unecessary if all we have to be is people of good will to attain God’s favor.

—-Hi Joan! I love this! I never knew that angels surrounded us like that. I have always heard of Guardian angels but never knew that different angels surround us when we pray and as we go through our day! Thank you so much for your emails! I love them and really enjoy reading.

My husband used to live in Thornton. Are the Caycees doing OK since the tornado? (PS. The recent tornadoes did come through Thornton; Joannie was in the house praying. No one was hurt but again, they lost the basics such as clothes. Their mailing address is 403 South Second St. Thornton AR 71766.)

—-Absolutely beautiful, Joan. Thank you for sharing. A few years ago, I was in Ireland leading a small tour group. At one of the stops, I got sick on the bus and couldn’t go on the boat excursion. I ended up walking down the main street of a sweet little Irish town and ended up at a used bookstore. And guess what I found there? Lorna Byrne’s book! I had never seen or heard of her and I was so grateful to be led to her and that store. Thank you for all that you do to embrace the Angels and their role in our lives.

—- All religions do not believe in or worship the same God. The muslims, hindu and most middle eastern religions do not worship the same God that the Catholics and other Christian faiths do. Please do more research on this subject. I wish that I had more information for you on this subject, but alas I do not. I remember that back in the late 1980′s, early 1990′s a pastor at the church where we were members taught a Sunday school class on the different religions of the world and it was perfectly clear that not all religions worshiped the same God.
You might want to check out the teachings of Gordon Robertson on the subject. You can find his teachings on the matter at www.cbn.com. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter

—-I have long since learned that people receive their own light from God. Our light in the Catholic faith, is the same, but catholic means universal, and God loves all of us more than we can love each other. Wish I could speak to my angel guardian, it is lonely right now, and scary. Someone came into my house and took all my jewelry that was given to me by my friends and family. Please pray for me, because I don’t have enough money to move, just enough money to replace my door. Thank you, and I am blessed that I was not home when it happened.

—-as Steve Jobs has said…’Religions are like many different doors all leading to the same place’… in my opinion everybody has ‘their way’ to bring them to that higher power…higher energy…I believe very strongly there are many ways to find your way to Spirit….it can be thru Buddha, Jesus or whatever…it all leads to a higher energy that we are all part of…we are all that energy…some just know how to plug in and others are still learning and others don’t care to learn…it’s all their own personal journey…no right or wrong…each soul has their own journey …

some find it thru Jesus…other’s thru Buddha..others thru their Jewish faith …some on that table over there… …well you know what I am meaning…we all have our own unique way but it is all to the same higher energy …we are all connected to the same something…

—-I think that it is so very true and absolutely wonderful….a blessing for us all.

—-Joan, I loved this! I only wish I too could see everyone’s guardian angels!
This was just a wonderful piece of literature that you recommended!
And it is also totally believable! Oh my, this gal really has been blessed!
Thank you so much for posting what she said. Much love always.

The first time I read this story, it left me very uncomfortable. I know
that place – and it’s not where the Lord reigns in me. I was so
flabbergasted I didn’t know what to say. So today I revisited the story, and asked for the words of why it’s still leaving that uncomfortable place in my heart.
If Lorna has been seeing angels since she was a child, without guidance from an elder to discern spirits – whether a priest or someone experienced with such matters – she may have, like so many others, been lead astray by those beautiful angels. We tend to forget that Satan is the most beautiful of all the Angels, as are his minions. The key here is the one world religion, something that is paramount in Satan’s agenda. He would still replace Our Lord Jesus as god, and creating the atmosphere of “can’t we all get along” appeals to our most basic sense of peace. Neither Jesus, nor any of the prophets in the old or new testament – have stated that we would have a one world religion. It’s a lie that’s perpetuated by Satan and his angels to divert mankind from the truth of One Lord, One Way.
Lornas message is tainted with a bit of mistruth, just the way Satan likes to do it. Yes, no one ever prays alone. Who is your companion?
In The Holy Name of Jesus,

—God Bless—-Beautiful Story. Not really a story, but a truth. Thank you for helping to forward the openness of it all!

—I REALLY like that one a lot Joan – thank you for sharing. Too bad it isn’t front line news in EVERY newspaper in the world!!

—-Dear Joan, Thank you so very, very much. I am immediately going to search for Lorna’s books. Never fear, I am sure that I have nearly a dozen of your books. Over the years I never could resist getting another and another and another…….who can have too many angel stories?
Love and best wishes to you. Thank you for all you do.

—Much as I like to be open minded about other people’s experiences and belief, I strongly disagree with this particular experience that Lorna Byrne claims she had. Agreeing with those experiences makes the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ a lie and/or in vain. This is real deception, and is a ministration from lying spirits. I mean no disrespect to her but I believe that she is walking in error. See 2 Corinthians 11:14
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—-I think it was very nice Joan. Thank you for sharing the story.

—I DON’T GET IT….Hindu’s have hundreds of idol Gods they pray to. Where is unity there?? The Muslims don’t believe Jesus is the Savior but a good man who will come back to earth and tell everyone he is not the savior but mislead everyone and will judge all who will not join Islam. From the Koran.
Jesus said He is the Way, The Truth and The Life and no man comes to the Father except through Him.
I believe Jesus..I hope and pray Lorna is not being misled by demons displaying themselves as angels to dismiss the importance of worshipping through Jesus

—-This is so beautiful and uplifting. When I read the part of this lady, as a child, walking with her aunt and aunt to her NOT to go into the protestant church, it reminded me of what my mom told me what the nuns used to tell the children in the Catholic school she went to: “Don’t associate with the Protestants, they are going to hell”. Thank God,the Catholic church became ecumenical thanks to Pope John XXIII, who is my favorite pope. This is a lovely story Joan. Thank you for sharing. I love your website.

—-Hi there!As always, I love, appreciate and believe the stories you send! I have a friend who saw angels like this woman did, right from as young as she could remember – and she too did not tell anyone until recent years. Even now she is very cautious!

The question at the bottom was ‘What did we think of this?
I do wonder about the Muslims serving the same God as Christians… yes, they probably do! But I suppose it is the “Jesus” part which is a bit iffy!

I believe all these people believe in GOD. But it seems to me there are different ways to get to him in the different religions!

It is an interesting topic and I’m not interested in debate! debate gets no one anywhere. I just love hearing about people’s divine experiences and what you send are part of all that! How wonderful. Thank you, Joan!

—I have a very hard time believing this or agreeing with it. The fact that angels created from God would tell her that ‘it is one and the same God’ I don’t believe for a second. Muhammad, the prophet who tells all that don’t believe in him are infidels and should be killed is NOT the same God that we believe in, the God of Love. If people of different religions were truly praying to the same God, we wouldn’t have different religions. The Jews do not believe that Jesus was God and they’re still waiting for their God to come. They don’t believe in Satan either, which I find really amazing. They do not have the same God as us, the Trinity.

I have a friend who’s a Catholic teacher and was telling me one day how they were studying a bunch of religions in school and she “never knew we all had the same God”. I said WE DON’T. She said well, basically we do. She didn’t understand they are NOT the same God. If they were, all would follow His written word, the Truth and they do not.

If you ask me, this woman is being duped by evil angels. Remember they too have power and can make things happen. I’m not saying she hasn’t seen the good ones too, especially when she was a child. Children are so pure and open to God and the spiritual world they can see many things. (good & evil) I would advise her to pray for discernment.

I believe that revelations tells us how the TRUE Christians will unite.
God is gathering His people. Every person has the potential to be one of those but if they are not a Christian and don’t follow His word and keep His testaments, they will be spued out of his mouth.

I hope you are well.

—I remember hearing that one of the medugorje visionaries asked who was the holiest in the village and it was a moslem woman. My spouse is Hindu and loves our Lady. I know God is in charge. I think He is first tacking the harder issue of converting me. I will look for her books, Joan. I remember someone asking me which angel books were the best and I told them to always reach for one of yours. Praise God for His gifts which flow through your writings. All the best.

—-Joan, her writing is wonderful. The article is beautiful.

I am hoping one day, our president and congress will realize that it will be through education of religion in schools that more can come together, not restricting religion in school – expand it and make it optional. No forcing–just all those who wish to pray and learn about the other religions that out there may do so. It would only make our country stronger with our melting pot of people and religions. God Bless You Joan and all you do.

—-The article Lorna Byrne wrote to the Huffington Post (quoting what you have written) is an amazing story. Cannot imagine seeing an Angel. Certainly a miracle.

As she described each person having an angel behind them regardless of religion it sent me shivers.
In grammar school (Polish Catholic) we always said a prayer to our Guardian Angel . Had it memorized in polish in those days.

It is a gift that Lorna Byrne was given to see these angels. Am sure some of the visions are difficult in different ways.

Thanks for sharing her article.

—I am sorry I am just now responding. I read the story by Lorna and was so taken by it & her experiences that I searched for her online and found her website and just ploughed into reading all of her old newsletters she has on her website & I watched numerous videos on YouTube of interviews she has given. I believe she has been blessed by God with a precious gift & so completely understand her having kept it a secret for so very long. It is so wonderful that she is now sharing her experiences and information the angels give to her with us. As soon as I can afford it I hope to buy her books starting with the 1st one she came out with. Thank you so much for introducing me to this amazing woman’s story. Please pass this comment along to her with the others. I want her to know how truly touching it is to me for her to share her angel experiences with the world. She is making a huge difference for the better in this world by doing so.

—Finally, a thought from me. I am a Catholic and if I did not believe that this is the faith Christ founded, I would leave and look elsewhere. I also believe that the world has plenty of evil in it, both human and spirit, and we all need the protection of the angels to keep us on the safe path.
However, there is a promise in Scripture that says, “Every knee shall bow…and every tongue confess…that Jesus Christ is Lord.” I have always taken this and similar predictions to mean that in some future realm we will all be followers of Christ, and there will not be any division. How that’s going to happen, I leave to God. I’ll just do what I can to make the world a better place.

One of the authors I believe I can count on is Lorna Byrne, who wrote Angels in My Hair. You may remember her; she has seen angels since she was a little girl, but thought everyone saw them. She has had a difficult life, but the angels are still advising her. I’m recommending that you read an article she wrote recently for the Huffington Post, of all places. Here goes:

“As the Sikh man walked towards the circle of unlit candles he was surrounded by angels. Behind him stood his guardian angel and as he reached to taper out to light the candle, his guardian angel reached out as if to hold the taper with him. The Sikh man lit one of the candles on the table. Beside each of the candles stood a very tall angel, dwarfing both the people and the other angels in the room. Their folded wings reached far up above the ceiling which seemed to have disappeared.

“These angels all looked alike. They appeared to be draped in golden robes which fell in perfect folds. The angels were so bright, and the light from them radiated out into the room.

“A Hindu man was next in a line of people to light a candle, each one representing a different faith. They included Jews, Quakers, Buddhists, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Unitarians and Muslims. Each person was surrounded by angels and behind each of them stood their guardian angel.

‘I was extremely moved and delighted watching this scene. I had never seen so many people from different faiths gathered together in the same place for prayer. It wasn’t an extraordinary place — it was in fact an ordinary conference room in a hotel outside Dublin, where a multi-faith event I had been asked to speak at was being held. By their abundance and radiance, the angels were clearly showing me their approval of different faiths coming together.

“I have been seeing and talking with angels since I was a baby. I see them physically as clearly as I see someone sitting in front of me. I never told anyone about what I was seeing until a few years ago after my husband died and my children were reared. It was only then that I started writing and talking about what I was seeing.

‘I am a Catholic, born into an Ireland that at that time was largely Catholic. From the time I was a baby I saw guardian angels behind each and every person, regardless of religion. In fact like most children I didn’t realize that there were different religions. The first time I got any inkling of the different beliefs people have of God was when I was about six and was walking past a Protestant church near my home with my aunt. I was looking at two big powerful angels who were standing on guard outside the church when my aunt told me I was never to go in there — that that was a Protestant church and no place for any Catholic. I looked at her in bemusement.

‘In the years following, the angels explained to me that different religions have different beliefs, different traditions and different ways of praying. They always emphasized, however, that it was one and the same God and that one day all religions would come together under one umbrella.

”I pray for that day to come, but I fear it may be a long way off.

“What we can do though now is pray together more often. Just as the Olympics brings people of different nationalities and traditions together to play sport, we need to continually seek opportunities to bring people of different faiths together to pray with each other. Praying together will help to lessen fears that people have, will break down cultural differences and will help to lay down a foundation for peace at a local, national and international level.

‘No one ever prays alone. When you pray to God there is a multitude of angels praying with you, regardless of your religious faith or what form your prayer takes. It doesn’t matter whether you pray standing, kneeling, lying prostrate or twirling, whether you chant, sing, light candles, or use prayer beads. The angels are there enhancing your prayer, interceding on your behalf and imploring God to grant your prayer.

“Prayer is extremely powerful and the angels have told me that the prayers of people of all religions are equally powerful.

The angels tell me that when people of different religions gather together in prayer it pleases God. That when people of different traditions pray together, it creates a synergy, an intertwining of prayer that makes their prayers even more powerful.”

What do you think of this, friends?
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Alanus (My Guardian Angel) says: “Praise be to Jesus.”

“I am with you in every present moment. This is true of everyone’s guardian angel. It is our job to help those in our charge to live in Holy Love; but I stand next to you as a Seraphim – the most powerful of all the angels. When you pray, I surround you with ministering angels that carry your prayers to God’s Eternal Throne on High. Therefore, never be discouraged in prayer. Heaven has turned a benevolent ear towards you.”

“Do not be afraid to send me off to serve others. I, like all other Heavenly beings, can bi-locate. Therefore, I can assist others far away and still be with you. That is what it is like to live in Heaven where there is no time or space.”

“I am your strength in your weakness. I am your peace in any anxiety. I can turn the crudeness of people to mildness. I can suggest alternatives in the face of seeming failures or defeat.”

“Therefore, learn to depend on me all the more. I stand at your service – as your guardian and companion.”

From Holy Love Prayer Center
Message line: 440-327-5822

—You know I am not techie, but I will try to explain the newest product in what is becoming my “angel line.” If you are a person who downloads audio books, this is for you. My book, IN THE ARMS OF ANGELS, has just been made into audio. Check it out on amazon.com. (If you can do that, you’re way ahead of me!)

—Finally, let’s close out with a smile. See you next year!

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=7PLZZPNX

—A reader suggests Dr. John Bissler. He has been a doctor for several years in one of the best children’s hospital in Cincinnati, but he doesn’t turn anyone away, and he removed a large tumor from her kidney when other doctors said it couldn’t be done. (Dr Bissler is one of only two nephrologists in the country involved in this genetic tumor disorder). For parents, the search for medical help is often difficult. Many wind up at Dr. Bissler’s Cincinati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

“While our patients are seen by an array of physicians, most are in great need of Dr. Bissler, especially for research,” says a hospital spokesman. Dr Bissler is currently raising money so he can travel throughout the world to train other doctors to do this surgery, instead of so many children having to come to Cincinnati to be treated by him. If he raises a million dollars, the hospital will match it.

Any donation is welcome; send to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229. On the envelope attention to: Jennifer Barlow. And the checks should be made out to TSC Nephrology Fellowship.

—Now that the holidays are approaching, many of you are starting a gift bag or two for the impoverished people in Thornton Arkansas. This small town has little or no jobs available and has always been poor, but a wonderful family (the Cayces) has supplemented their lack for over 40 years. We got involved several years ago, and those of us looking for a charity were delighted to find an outlet for garage sale finds, outgrown shoes and, during the holidays, the toys, candy and Wal-Mart gift cards that help the children have a happy and memorable day. We can talk a little more about Thornton next time: JoAnn Cayce Charities, 403 South Second Street, Thornton AR 71766

—Finally, my own commercial: I now have written seven books on angels and miracles (as well as a humor book for Mom), and I can’t imagine a better time of year to give these as gifts. Many families approach my signing table to tell me they are each buying a different book and then trading them; others feature these at their book clubs. Check amazon.com or if you want an autographed copy, go to my website, http://joanwanderson.com then click on BOOKS and follow order directions. I suspect the angels will be pleased. And here’s our story:

Pam had been praying hard for a pressing family matter that didn’t seem to be improving. Her city had just had a snowfall, and she was driving towards the downtown area when a middle-aged man waded into the drifts and flagged down her car. Pam noticed a second man standing on the sidewalk. By his ragged clothes, she assumed he was a street person.
“Can you give us a ride to my house?” asked the stranger who had signaled her. “I’ve been trying to get a cab, but in this weather there are none to be found. I met this man who has no place to go, and I want to bring him home, feed him and let him spend the night in a warm place.”
Pam and her husband belonged to a group that fed the homeless one evening each month, but she had never been asked for a favor such as this. And yet she didn’t hesitate, even when she learned that the man’s house was almost five miles away. “Of course,” she said. “Get in.”
The homeless stranger never said a word on the journey, but Pam and the other man felt immediate ease with each other, and enjoyed a spiritually uplifting conversation for awhile, then lapsed into a companionable silence.
They were almost to the house when the man turned to Pam. “Miss, you know that family problem you’ve been so worried about? Don’t worry. Everything is going to be all right.” Pam’s mouth dropped. How had he known? As she pulled up to the front of the house, he and the homeless man got out, thanked her and walked quickly away.
Pam sat for a moment. How odd that she had not been afraid to let two strangers get into her car, or to drive them in difficult weather conditions. And how did they know of the problem she had been praying about?
Peace filled her as she started the car up again. She could leave everything in God’s hands, she realized. Obviously he had sent an angel (or perhaps even two!) to tell her so.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Unless you live in a cave, you know that Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple and the man who transformed consumer technology, died on October 5th at the age of 56. He had fought cancer in recent years and received a liver transplant in 2009. In August he stepped down as Apple’s chief executive, looking frail despite his unending effort to maintain his enthusiasm for life, but his death still came as a shock to many in Silicon Valley and across the world.

As with any beloved person, the special people in Jobs’ life were with him at the end—his wife, four children, his sister, his biographer and several close friends. There was another element to his final day, however, that perhaps was a parting gift to those left behind.

Steve Jobs was a Catholic until he entered college and became interested in Eastern religions. He dropped out of college, took a trip to India to find enlightenment, and returned a Zen Buddhist, with the appreciation for simplicity that would influence his decisions at Apple.

The interesting part of this was that later, after his cancer diagnosis, Jobs seemed to turn away from Eastern-based faith, and professed a new-found uncertainty as to whether or not God exists. “I’m about 50-50 on believing in God,” he told his biographer. “I really want to believe that something survives, that maybe your consciousness endures.”

Then came the last day, when Jobs went in and out of awareness, gazing at his loved ones, falling asleep and waking again, with longer intervals between. Then, as his sister recently revealed, a few hours before his departure, Steve awakened for the last time. He was looking towards the middle of the room when everyone heard him say, “Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.”

As we angel-believers know, final words and/or visions are not unusual. This happening, however, seems extra special, 1) because Jobs was so famous as a man of science, and 2) because toward the end of his life he was seeking spiritual answers—and not only found them, but passed them along to witnesses.

Just something to think about. See you next week with a fun video to share.

Angels Explained by Children

I only know the names of two angels, Hark and Harold.
–Gregory, age 5

Everybody’s got it all wrong. Angels don’t wear halos anymore. I forget why, but scientists are working on it.
–Olive, age 9

It’s not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to Heaven, and then there’s still the flight training to go through. And then you got to agree to wear those angel clothes.
–Matthew, age 9

Angels work for God and watch over kids when God has to go do something else.
–Mitchell, age 7

My guardian angel helps me with math, but he’s not much good for science.
–Henry, age 8

Angels don’t eat, but they drink milk from Holy Cows!!!
–Jack, age 6

Angels talk all the way while they’re flying you up to heaven. The main subject is where you went wrong before you got dead.
–Daniel, age 9

When an angel gets mad, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten. And when he lets out his breath again, somewhere there’s a tornado.
–Reagan, age 10

Angels have a lot to do and they keep very busy. If you lose a tooth, an angel comes in through your window and leaves money under your pillow. Then when it gets cold, angels go south for the winter.
–Sara, age 6

Angels live in cloud houses made by God and his son, who’s a very good carpenter.
–Jared, age 8

All angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn’t go for it.
–Antonio, age 9

My angel is my grandma who died last year. She got a big head start on helping me while she was still down here on earth.
–Ashley, age 9

Some of the angels are in charge of helping heal sick animals and pets. And if they don’t make the animals get better, they help the child get over it.
– Vicki, age 8

What I don’t get about angels is, why when someone is in love, they shoot arrows at them.
–Sarah, age 7

And if you haven’t sent in a photo of your dog dressed up for Halloween, do it and enter the contest. We’re giving away some of my books next week for the best doggy costumes. Send to RLane@Loyolapress.com

Submit any past and present pictures of your pooch, from a Popeye-d poodle to a Dracula-fied dachshund. We’ll pick the top five photos and post them on this page, where you can vote for the winner.

The person’s photo with the most votes will receive an autographed copy of “Angelic Tails,” along with three books: “In the Arms of Angels: True Stories of Heavenly Guardians,” “Angels and Wonders: True Stories of Heaven and Earth,” and “Guardian Angels: True Stories of Answered Prayers.” The winning photo will also be featured on Angelic Tails’ Facebook page, on this website, and in Joan’s newsletter.

Simply e-mail a picture of your dolled-up dog along with its name and a short description to rlane@loyolapress.com by 5 p.m. on Nov. 1^st. We’ll begin voting on Wednesday, Nov. 2, and announce the winner on Nov. 4. Stay tuned for a follow-up post detailing when you can begin voting.

Enjoy, and get creative with your angel dog!

OFFICIAL RULES: This contest is open to residents of the United States and Canada who are 18 years old or older. Multiple entries are allowed per household. By submitting photos, contestants confirm that they are the copyright holder for each photo, and agree to allow Loyola Press to display their photos on LoyolaPress.com, Loyola Press’s Facebook pages, Joan Wester Anderson’s website, and Joan’s newsletter. 

This contest is sponsored by Loyola Press.

Visit Angelic Tails’ Facebook page for more information: http://www.facebook.com/AngelicTails

“Strangely enough, on this very busy street, there was a large parking place right in front of me.” Donna pulled in, called the auto club, and the driver was there in no time. “There was even enough room for him to pull his truck in ahead of us,” Donna says. Within minutes, he had put on her spare. But her troubles weren’t over yet.

“You’re going to have to replace that front tire,” the driver told Donna. “Somebody slit it right through, and all the air is gone.”

Who would have done such a thing? Donna was at a loss, and she was also concerned. Her tires were big, and each one cost about $200. “I decided not to think about the bill just yet,” Donna says. “Tomorrow I was going to a women’s brunch at our church in Garden Grove California, and I was planning to have a wonderful time. I”d go to the tire store afterwards.”

The brunch was indeed wonderful, and the speakers as well. “I remember one of them saying that we should expect miracles in our lives.” Briefly, Donna thought of the slit tire and her minimal checkbook balance. Would God care about her car problems? Since she didn’t know exactly what to pray for, she simply reminded him of her current need.

“After the brunch, I drove to the tire store and explained what had happened,” Donna says. “The men took my tire out of the trunk, and looked at it. They put air in it, and then put it in a tub of water. Then they all shook their heads. There was no slit in the tire. No damage at all.”

The men put the tire back on Donna’s car and refused to charge her anything for their work (although she insisted on tipping them.) She drove away in a daze. “It was one of the best days I’d had in a long time,’ Donna says. “Nothing is too small for God.”
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Not too long ago, Bill was driving down US-80 in freezing rain about two hours from his Michigan home. He had been gone for two days and couldn’t wait to see his wife and children, and sleep in his own bed again. “I was daydreaming as I listened to the truck drivers on the CB talking back and forth,” Bill says. “My ears perked up as I heard one of them say that, just ahead, there was a little old man and women standing behind their car with the hood up. Someone needed to get them some help, or they were going to get hit, maybe even killed.”

Almost immediately Bill came over a hill, and saw the elderly couple just ahead. They reminded him of his own parents. “I remember thinking to myself, “OK God, this is a test, Right?’” Bill says. He grabbed the CB, and announced that he would take care of the situation. As he pulled up behind the man and woman and put on his flashers, he could hear the truckers thanking him for taking the time to help. It gave him a warm feeling in the midst of a freezing day.

“As I opened my driver’s door, the wind from a passing truck almost ripped the door from its hinges,” Bill says. He asked the shivering couple if he could help them, explaining that he was a mechanic. They were ecstatic.

“We’ve been here for over two hours,” the gentleman said. “One trucker told us he would call for help—and it shouldn’t take long for someone to come—but that was over an hour ago.”

“We were so cold, but afraid to sit in the car in case no one saw us,” the woman added, her cheeks red from the cold. “But when it started to rain, we took turns.”

Bill was appalled. They should never have had to go through such an ordeal! He checked their car and saw that one of the fan belts had come apart, and it needed a pulley. “I can fix your car, but I don’t have the part,” Bill told them. “But come back to my truck and get warm.”

Bill pushed the maps off his front seat and helped the couple into his truck. He turned the heater to “high.” “It felt so good knowing that at least I could give them warmth.” He carefully pulled back onto the turnpike and headed for the next toll station.

The couple were on their way to Michigan for a funeral for an old friend, they explained. Bill offered to give them a ride all the way, but they declined. “You’ve done enough already,” the man said. “And please stop before the tollbooth, so you won’t have to pay twice. Just drop us off here.”

No way. “You’ve been through enough,” Bill told them. “I’m not leaving until we have things arranged.” He paid the toll, parked and escorted them into the toll station. There was no store nearby where Bill could buy a part, but soon a mechanic had been contacted and was on his way. The couple would be okay now.

They accompanied Bill out to his truck, and stood there as Bill got in and opened a window to say a last goodbye. “The old man walked up to the door and reached thru my window, putting his hand on mine, and he asked me, “Son are you a religious man?” Bill says.
“I told him that I believed in God, but admitted I didn’t go to church as much as I should.”
“Well,” said the gentleman, “a moment before you came, my wife and I had asked God to send us an angel.” He looked deeply into Bill’s eyes. “And He did.
“Son, today you are an angel.”
Bill has never forgotten the encounter. “I will never forget the love I felt from the owners of a car I could not fix…” he says. And there’s no doubt he passed the test.

There will be a few changes made on this blog, which I’ll explain as we go along. As for now, just enjoy this little event, which certainly demonstrates how all of us can reach out if we’d like to:

“A rather strange and rare thing happened to us recently,” says Jim Claypool. “My wife Ginni had a bad day at the day care—she wandered off unsupervised, and I noticed her negative attitude as soon as I picked her up. But it was our forty-eighth wedding anniversary, and I was hoping to cheer her up by taking her out for a nice dinner.”

Ginni’s Alzheimer’s is advanced to a point that she really does not notice much difference in restaurants, Jim says, but this time he took her to a local TGI Fridays. The dinner was nice, but “as always, it was necessary for me to help by ordering for her and cutting her meat as she has trouble doing that,” Jim says. “I talked at length to her during dinner, assuring her that everything was OK and that I loved her and would always be there for her and do what was right for her. Caring for her is a constant and rather intense activity.”

As dinner ended, the waitress set down the check and also a box for the food Ginni was not able to finish. Jim was putting her food into the box when the waitress returned with a hand-written note. “Your check has been taken care of,” she told Jim. Surprised, he looked at the note: “Watching you guys tonight, it was one of the sweetest things I’ve seen in a long time. You are one heck of a guy.”

Although the man signed his note, he had already left before it was delivered, and Jim has been unable to find him. “I want to tell this story, not because he said something nice about me, but to share the account of his generosity and amazing empathy for a complete stranger,” Jim says. “I had been feeling a little extra blue because Ginni has little idea of who I am, let alone that we are married and that it was our anniversary. But this really warmed my heart. God works in wonderful ways.”

My thought as I blink back tears: Jim and countless other caregivers need all the comfort we can offer them in their heroic jobs. If any of us see a similar couple or family, let’s think of something to lift their spirits, just as this unidentified Earth Angel did.