For He shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.
They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. Psalm 91:11-12 It was a clear, sunny, dry-road day over the Colorado Rocky Mountains last Thursday. That doesn't happen too often in January, so I decided to go ahead and drive over the passes to Grand Junction. My dear friend Deanna was ready to pick up the lamb we had had butchered for Passover and I wanted to bring it back to our freezer. The drive went well and I spent the night there. The next day, Friday, I was spending some time in the afternoon working on her computer when my cell phone rang. I looked to see who was calling and it said UNKNOWN. This was the first miracle: I NEVER answer my phone if it says Unknown! But prompted by the Spirit, I answered. The deep voice said, "Is this Kelly Mills of 24 Park Avenue?" "Yes," I responded tentatively. "This is Officer _____ of the Eaton Police Department." My heart began to race. Was I being arrested? I couldn't think of one thing I had done wrong, but what could this call mean? The officer continued, "Your husband John has just been taken by helicopter to the Greeley Hospital. He had a serious heart attack. Is there family here we can contact?" I gave him my daughter's phone number. After I hung up I realized that wasn't such a good idea because she is so busy, she rarely answers her phone. But despite the UNKNOWN caller on her phone, she TOO answered and was able to stop everything and drive immediately to the emergency room. That was miracle #2! Meanwhile, Deanna and I checked the status of the roads and passes back to Denver and the storm that had come in overnight had left all the roads snow and ice-packed and some even closed. I might not have been able to drive it, and I knew I was in no shape emotionally to handle the stress of icy, treacherous mountain roads. So we got on the United Airlines website to see if possibly I could get on one of their commuter flights back to Denver. We knew there was only a slim chance, as those seats are always filled way ahead of time. However (miracle #3) there was one seat left! But then we saw the price of the ticket: $932! Undaunted, I went on to the mileage awards section of the website, because I knew I had some United miles. To my amazement the ticket price came up 10,000 miles and $77! (Miracle #4). We booked it immediately and I called a man from our prayer team to see if he could possibly drive down to Denver (60 miles) to get me and drive me back up to the Greeley hospital. His cheery voice on the other end of the line was such a comfort: "Hey, I'm already down here in Denver. I'll be there to get you, Sis!" (Miracle #5). The events that were transpiring in our front yard all during this time were great miracles also. We had advertised some furniture on Craig's List and a guy we did not know had phoned and told John he'd be over to pick it up. John was helping him carry the couch and chair out the door and lifting it onto his trailer when he collapsed. This man (whose name is Rob) ran behind John to brace his fall (they shall bear you up in their hands lest you dash your foot against a stone!) He pulled him gently into the snow in our yard. He knew that cold was helpful to the heart -- and he was also trained in CPR in the military (miracle #6!) Rob examined John's pulse and couldn't find one. He also later told us that John was not breathing! But he began chest compressions and kept it up until the paramedics arrived. They found John's heart beating at a rate over 200, so they shocked the heart, which brought it back into normal rhythm - praise be to God! Then they put John in the helicopter and flew him in to the Greeley hospital, but he has no recollection of ANY of this! As I think about it - and how helpless I felt being so far away - I really do see how Abba Father gave His angels charge over John to keep him! Meanwhile, I am settled into the little commuter jet over the mountains and the pilot warned us that the turbulence coming out of Denver was so severe that many passengers threw up. I went immediately into prayer and told Father that I could see His nostrils blowing away all the cloud formations and winds that caused such turbulence. I continued to envision this and as our little plane descended into Denver we hit one little bump and then all the clouds cleared and we sailed gently onto the runway (miracle #7!) Larry was indeed at the curb to get me and the 60 miles back up to Greeley seemed like forever, but he kept me calm with his jovial personality. Oh, what joy and relief when I burst through the doors of the ICU and into John's room! He was in the bed with a ton of wires coming out from everywhere, but he managed a little smile for me. He was surrounded by my daughter and her husband and my 3 grandkids, plus all three of our Wednesday night prayer warriors! I have never felt so blessed - both my physical family and my spiritual family were there to surround my husband with the shalom that passes all understanding. I stayed with John in the hospital until his release on Monday. He had two stents placed in two arteries that were over 80% blocked. The procedure on Sunday morning went well and his recovery has been amazing (miracle #8). Today he's taking a little walk around the neighborhood and enjoying delicious fish dinner supplied by friends. Last night I found him standing at the back door gazing out at the brightness of an almost-full moon, a few tears on his face. "I wasn't sure I'd see you or this place again." It was one of those moments where all the things in life that don't matter just float away -- and all the things and people that DO matter are ever more precious to you. This four-day journey was filled with miracles; from the total stranger who stayed to do CPR and preserve life, to the helicopter team who even came the next day to give John a hug, to my family who surrounded him immediately with their love and care, to the small plane that felt like eagles wings carrying me gently and safely to my husband - God's hand prints were all over each step of the way. He is faithful.
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This "new year" is blowing in literally like a gale - a powerful force that has potential to make astonishing and sweeping changes in the world and in the hearts of men. Many prophetic words have already been given for 2014, but one that struck me very deeply came from my good friend in the faith, Tinah Brown. Through her YHVH said, "Yes, the storm that blows it in will be of catastrophic force, but in the eye of it you, My people, those called out and set apart for Me, will find rest and be rescued."
A man in our prayer group has been using this same terminology referring to the "eye of the storm." He prays Psalms 91 almost every week and gives emphasis to verse 7: "A thousand will fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but IT WILL NOT COME NEAR YOU." In the midst of the catastrophic storm, God's people will rest in the eye. On January 1, meditating upon these words from YHVH, I was studying the book of Jeremiah and when I came across chapter 31 verse 2 it took my breath away! This is what YHVH says, "The people who survive the sword will find grace in the wilderness; I will come to give rest to Israel." This is yet another wondrous illustration of the Remnant being rescued out of dark and dangerous times by the grace of Yeshua. They are taken into the wilderness and given rest (shalom) there. Today, studying the Torah portion in Exodus, I have been reading about the plague of darkness that came over all Egypt. Exodus 10:21: "Then YHVH said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness will be spread over Egypt - darkness that can be felt. ' This is most hard to envision - darkness that could literally be felt; darkness that caused everyone to be paralyzed and unable to move; a total absence of light so that one could barely breathe and not even a fire could be lit! This was closely followed by the plague of death of the firstborn, which would occur on the very night of the first Passover. After the Israelites slaughtered the lamb and applied its blood to the doorposts of their homes, YHVH said, "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn - both men and animals - and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I AM YHVH. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt." Exodus 12:12-23. The blood of the Lamb is your covering. Though ten thousand fall at your right side it will not come near you. The people who survive the sword will find grace in the wilderness; in the eye of the catastrophic storm the people set apart for Him will find rest. The catastrophic storm is beginning to blow. This next Passover will be marked with the first of the blood-red moons that will appear four times on the first days of Passover and Sukkot in 2014 and 2015. The warning signs are in the heavens; the judgments of YHVH will be poured out on the nations as He has decreed; but as it was in the beginning so it will be in the end: out of His judgment of the wicked will come His deliverance of the Righteous. Yeshua gives us an important message for these days in Luke 21:36: "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYv51IFU24c |
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March 2024
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