For the month of December, you will see more posts than usual in your email. This month I wanted to celebrate Christ’s birth by getting some friends to share a story or posts this month.
I have six guest posts for the month of December. I hope you enjoy their stories as much as I did.
Whitney Ward’s story is touching and supernatural. Do you believe you have met an angel? Read her story!
My eyes opened in shock as the tube in my nose gave my body the oxygen it so desperately lacked. I immediately noticed the eight doctors and nurses crammed into my tiny hospital room. “What’s my hemoglobin?” I asked in a hoarse whisper.
My mother leaned close and caressed my brow. “You remember a few years ago when your hemoglobin was 4.8, and you were really sick? Well, it’s kind of like that now.”
Nightmare in the ICU
I suffered from rare autoimmune and immune diseases, so battling a low hemoglobin blood count was a hurdle I jumped over many times. A normal hemoglobin range is between 11 to 14. It’s the part of the blood that carries the oxygen throughout the body and to the brain, so when it’s low the body isn’t getting the oxygen it needs to function and in extreme cases, the mind can’t remain lucid.
Even in my sickly state, I saw the hopelessness in the medical professionals’ eyes. I was aware of their nervous glances.
I understood for the past two hours I was locked inside my body, unable to speak, incapable of doing anything but stare.
The deafening silence of the doctors and nurses gave me the real answer: This was nothing like the time when my hemoglobin dropped to 4.8 — it was worse.
“Do you know your name?” the ICU attending compassionately asked to see if I remembered my identity.
I shook my head, “It’s Whitney.”
“Where are you?” The doctor wanted to see if I was in touch with reality.
“I’m on the Hemoc floor.”
“What day is it?” Was my sense of time still intact?
“It’s Tuesday night.”
I answered the questions correctly, but the test I just aced didn’t change the nightmare we were all living: My hemoglobin had dropped to 2.8 and I was fighting for my life.
The ICU staff rushed me to their unit. On the way, the specialists prepared my parents for what lay ahead. I would have to receive several units of blood, the IV treatment I took every six months, and an antibiotic. I had never taken this antibiotic before and it commonly causes an allergic reaction where a person’s whole body turns red.
They warned my parents it was imperative I didn’t experience any reactions to the treatments they were administering because my body could take no more trauma.
This news devastated my parents because they were painfully aware I had always had an allergic reaction during blood transfusions and to my IV treatment—so how would I survive?
The Angel in the Waiting Room
The staff directed my father and mother to the waiting room while they took me to a room to be hooked up to machines. The only other person in the waiting room was a man sitting at a computer. This was unusual because the ICU was maxed to capacity with patients. My parents were very familiar with waiting rooms, so they knew there should have been more family members holding vigil for their loved ones.
Sitting down, they took advantage of a nearly empty waiting room and began calling family and friends, asking them to touch Heaven on my behalf.
As my mother talked to one of her dear friends and shared the heartbreaking details, she began sobbing. My father took the phone from her to finish explaining the dire situation.
Suddenly, the man got up from the computer and walked across the room to my mother.
“What’s the child’s name?” he asked compassionately.
My mother stared into the clearest and bluest eyes she had ever seen. “It’s Whitney.”
“Okay, I’ll put her on The Prayer Chain.” Then he turned around, walked out of the waiting room, and my parents never saw him again.
He didn’t say I’ll put her on my church’s prayer chain or I’ll let my pastor know—he said The Prayer Chain.
The next night, the ICU waiting room was completely full.
Living Life to the Fullest
My parents are convinced the man was an angel sent from God. For the first time in my life, right after he left, I did not have a single reaction to my treatment, transfusions, nor did my body turn red from the new antibiotic. My body did a complete 180, and I got better quicker than any of my doctors thought medically possible.
They admitted me into the hospital on Monday, December 19th, 2011, and I got to come home on Saturday, December 24th, 2011 — The best Christmas gift ever.
Two weeks later, I went back to college to finish my degree, and in May 2012; I graduated with a Bachelor’s in creative writing.
Looking back at that Christmas seven-ten years ago, I marvel at the timing and pieces God intricately sewed together during that week so I could remain on this earth. #WhitneyWard #ThisSideofHeaven #AnAngelinWaiting #ChristmasMiracle
Looking back at that Christmas seven-ten years ago, I marvel at the timing and pieces God intricately sewed together during that week so I could remain on this earth.
The best part of the story, though?
God placed His healing hand on my diseased body, and I went from fighting for my life to living life to the fullest.
I never have doubted when the miraculous turnaround happened in my body—The minute the kind man told my mother he would put my name on The Prayer Chain. Not everyone gets to attend to angels unaware, but I’m so thankful God gave my parents and me the peace and assurance we needed in our darkest hour through an angel in the waiting room.
Meet Whitney:
Whitney Ward
Whitney Ward is a public speaker and writer who seeks to encourage her audiences to overcome their circumstances. As someone who has a disability, it is her wish to give hope to others with illness so they will persevere and scale every mountain they face.
For the month of December, you will see more posts than usual in your email. This month I wanted to celebrate Christ’s birth by getting some friends to share a story or posts this month.
I have six guest posts for the month of December. Not all of their stories are happy, because we know that bad things can still happen around the holidays. We must all be aware that some people are hurting during Christmas. I hope all of these posts speak to you in different ways.
The second post for December is from Betty Kulich.
As we approach this Advent season and the lighting of the Advent Candles, it reminds us of the Christmas Story, the birth of our Savior, and Jesus Christ. The very first candle is the Hope candle. It reminds us of the provisions for eternal life we gain by making Jesus our Lord.
But what about hope for the current season we are dealing with? What if you need hope in a current troubling or trying circumstance? Is there a provision of hope for now?
In the week leading up to Thanksgiving and the beginning of family celebrations, I needed a fresh supply of hope and a deeper depth to my faith storehouse—not for eternal life, but for hope in a serious family crisis right now. My 47-year-old daughter had a massive stroke that left her unable to function as a mother and nurse. Unfortunately, being alone at home, she wasn’t found until dinner time, long after the window for the miracle shot that reduces the stroke’s effects.
What was her future going to be? How would this crisis forever change the family dynamics? My daughter has four children; a single young adult struggling to make it on his own, a senior in pre-med at university feeling the stress of good grades and upcoming exams, a sophomore in high school trying to find his adult identity and a second grader who is the center of the household. All of them need a healthy mom. I needed hope that going forward life could be good for my daughter and family.
Hope that is an anchor
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
Hebrews 6:19 (NKJV)
Jesus is my Lord, and He is my daily peace. But now. I needed more than just peace. Jesus was the only one who could give me a hopeful future for my daughter and family–an anchor in this life storm and sea of unknown outcomes. I needed Jesus to be big for a big situation. My soul needed firm and secure hope.
I needed Jesus to be big for a big situation. My soul needed firm and secure hope. #BettyKulich #Hope #HopethatSeesUsThrough #Christmastime #ThisSideofHeaven
The emotions of a mother’s heart for her helpless, hurting child threaten to become a raging storm filled with waves of grief, winds of torment and flashes illuminating scary glimpses of possible crippling aftereffects. My firm foundation was suddenly quaking, shaking, and swaying like a magnitude seven earthquake.
The future hopes were crumbling even as they rushed her down for a head scan while doctors spoke of brain swelling and emergency surgery. Scriptures had to become a reality at a level I never needed before. My hope had to become anchored and tethered, my faith firm and secure.
Looking for the Glorious Hope
“This same grace teaches us how to live each day… and it equips us to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives in this present age.For we continue to wait for the fulfillment of our hope in… our great God and Savior, Jesus.”
Titus 2:12 -13 (TPT)
I cried out to Jesus to be the Rock that securely anchored my emotions, so I could weather this storm. Immediately, I felt a fresh new installment of faith, peace, and hope come, firmly securing my thoughts and emotions.
Self-control arose when all I wanted was to collapse into a puddle of tears. Where I was weak and wanting someone to comfort me, Jesus comforted the four grandchildren through me. Hope pushed back the darkness, bringing calmness and rays of glorious hope for life from this death of future dreams.
Hope Has a Name
“Lord, the only thing I can do is wait and put my hope in you. I wait for your help, my God.”
Psalm 38:15 (TPT)
There is a song titled Hope Has a Name.
“On mountains high and valleys low, my soul will rest, my confidence, in You alone. Hope has a name; His name is Jesus.”
Hope Has a Name
My hope and that of the family came to rest on Jesus Christ and what He will do in the days ahead. He alone can become our needed emotional strength, uniquely tailored for each of us. Only He could keep her brain from swelling necessitating a dangerous surgery. Additionally, I knew only Jesus could fix her body, creating pathways of blood flow and nerves so she could regain her ability to walk and use her arm and hand. Only Jesus, as the Creator of her body, could heal her.
Through this valley of the shadow of death, we could all pass, guided by Jesus, our Rock and Hope. Now this Christmas I will sing O Holy Night with a new understanding of “a thrill of hope, my weary soul rejoices.”
Hope will see me through the unknown days ahead. Hope is Jesus, and He is enough.
Meet Betty Kulich:
She is an ordained pastor and serves as an Associate Pastor, alongside her husband at the Redeemer’s church, Columbus, Ohio. Married for 49 years, she has one daughter and four grandchildren. In addition to her responsibilities at the church, Betty serves as the Women’s Ministry Director for Harvest Preparation International Ministries of Sarasota, Florida for Mexico & Central America. Winner of the 2021 CIPA Book Award for General Fiction and Winner of the 2020 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, she hosts short vlogs on Facebook called “Life Outside the Pages”.
For the month of December, you will see more posts than usual in your email. This month I wanted to celebrate Christ’s birth by getting some friends to share a story or posts this month.
I have six guest posts for the month of December. I hope you enjoy their stories as much as I did.
The first is Alexis Wohler. I hope you enjoy her post on focusing on Christ at CHRISTmas.
Christmas isn’t about buying gifts, seeing Santa, or putting up beautiful decorations to make your house look festive. It’s all about spending time with your friends and family and celebrating the true reason for the season- Jesus and His birth.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14 NIV
Where’s your focus?
Our focus should not be on giving and buying gifts to impress the people we love. Our focus should be on sharing God’s love with the people around us. We can tell our kids the story of Jesus’ birth and how He was born in a manger and came to save us all. We should help the most important people in our lives realize that Jesus’ birth is the true reason to celebrate.
Jesus came to save all the world from sin, death, and the power of the devil. He is the main reason why we celebrate Christmas every year. @AlexisWohler #FocusingonChristatChristmas #Christmastime #ThisSideofHeaven
Our Father wants us to enjoy the time with our family and friends–not rushing back and forth trying to get the ingredients for the perfect meal or stressing ourselves out by trying to get every gift correct for each person. Rather, He wants us to be still in His presence and to be present with everyone we love on the holidays. He wants us to enjoy the holidays, not dread them every year.
We can embrace Christmas for what it really is, an amazing gift given to us by God. What an honor it is for us to celebrate Jesus’ birthday every year and to know what He came down to earth to do for us. We can thank Him for His love, devotion, and care for us every year. It is a privilege to gather with our loved ones, year after year, and be given another year of life.
Thankfulness
There is so much to be thankful for each and every day, but especially on Christmas.
Thanking God for the ability to breathe, see, walk, and talk.
We can also thank God for giving us another day of life to be His witnesses to the next generation.
No matter what happens, we can continually thank God for another day and another year of life to celebrate His goodness in our lives by concentrating on Him all year round, not just when Christmas comes around. There is nothing more precious than family and there is no one who is more worth celebrating than Jesus. Let’s learn to celebrate Him and be grateful all year round, especially during this holiday season.
Lord, please help us focus on you and the gifts that you have given us. Help us remember you are the reason for the season. Thank you for everything that you have given us another year to celebrate with our friends and family.
Meet Alexis Wohler
Alexis Wohler
She is a Christian writer with six years of experience. Alexis loves to talk to God in prayer and reading devotionals. She writes features, interviews, editorials, opinions, blogs, and devotionals. Alexis loves singing, watching her favorite movies and TV shows, and spending time with her family and friends.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace, you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…
Ephesians 2:4-6 ESV
Have you ever had a dream about Heaven? Do you think about what it will be like? With all the bad news we have had in the last year and a half, we need some good news. What could be better than being in the heavenly places? Nothing!
When Jesus taught about the Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God here on earth, He was referring to the Kingdom being in our hearts. The only way to experience the Kingdom of God is to know His Son. I believe Paul, in Ephesians, was basically speaking of the same thing as Jesus but referred to it as the Heavenly Places.
In this two-part series, we will first look at the “Heavenly places” and next week we will discuss the New Heaven and Earth.
I love the above verse in Ephesians 2. Only Ephesians uses the phrase “In the heavenly places.” We will discuss all five times Paul used it in Ephesians and what it means to us.
Blessings
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 1:3 ESV
The phrase “In the Heavenly places/realms” is unique to Ephesians. It is the Greek phrase ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις or epouránios meaning, heavenly, referring to the impact of heaven’s influence on the particular situation or person.
In the Ephesians 1:3 passage, God gives all our blessings, including our gifts and talents to us through Jesus from the heavenly places. The heavenly places are our source of spiritual blessings.
Above allRulers and Authorities
And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe… that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Ephesians 1:19-21 ESV
God seated Jesus in the heavenly places long before time began. HE is far above every name, king, president, power, authority, or demonic ruler on earth in every generation–past, present, and future. The heavenly places are a place of all authority and power.
The heavenly places are a place of all authority and power. #ThisSideofHeaven #TheHeavenlyPlaces #Biblestudy
But God…made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Ephesians 2:4-6
God seated us with Jesus. As He sat Jesus in the heavenly places, God has seated us as believers and followers of His Son, with Him as well. How can we be seated with Jesus in the heavenly places when we are still very much a part of this world? Like the Kingdom of Heaven, it is in our hearts.
We live where the natural and the spiritual intersect. The Holy Spirit comes to live in us when we repent of our sins and accept Jesus as our Savior. We are now in direct communion with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us in John 15 when we abide with Him, He abides with us; and Hebrews 4 tells us we can approach God’s throne and receive mercy and find grace…
How do we approach God’s throne? How do we abide in Jesus? By being in a relationship with Him. We pray and read God’s Word; we tell Him what we are thinking, how we feel (the good, the bad, and the ugly) what we need and desire. We talk to Him. We depend on Him. We seek Him.
My good friend, J.D. Wininger has a great relationship with the Lord. God talks to him. They have conversations–many of which he records on his blog Around the Cross-Dubya (https://jdwininger.com/). I believe this is what Jesus meant by “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
How often do we talk to God–just to talk? Not wanting anything but to know Him better? He seats us with Him (spiritually) to have a relationship with us. Someday we will see Him face to face!
The heavenly places are a place where we are raised and seated together.
The Church
So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Ephesian 3:10 ESV
Through the Church, or community of believers both Messianic and Christian, God’s wisdom is made known to all. As the Church, we are to spread the Gospel of Christ and God’s love, mercy, and grace to all. We display this to all rulers and authorities both spiritual and human. The Church is a witness to all rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
The Church is a witness to all rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. #ThisSideofHeaven #IntheHeavenlyPlaces
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12 ESV
Without the Kingdom of God within us, we would have no power over the forces of darkness. Only with the power from the heavenly places where we are seated with Jesus Christ our LORD, can we fight these battles in His Name.
Before Jesus, people had little if any power over the spiritual realm. They were captives in prisons and bondage to satan and spiritual principalities. Jesus freed them–by showing His power over the demonic forces and death. With the power of the Holy Spirit within us, God gave us this power as well.
Unfortunately, we don’t always recognize it or use it because we lack belief in the power within us. We fight demonic and spiritual forces in the heavenly places.
We fight demonic and spiritual forces in the heavenly places. #IntheHeavenlyPlaces #ThisSideofHeaven
Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
John 14:12-14 ESV
What is the stipulation in the verses above? That the Father may be glorified! We don’t ask to glorify ourselves but God through the Son. Use the power God has given you to glorify Him.
God has seated you with Christ and blessed you with everything you need for this life–all your giftings and talents come from Him to use for Him.
Today, I have guest blogger–Penny Cooke. She is an author, Certified Biblical Life Coach, and has been a women’s ministry leader for over 25 years. Her passion is to encourage and equip women with the Word of God and see them empowered by His Spirit through prayer for this battle we call life. I met her at a writers conference a couple of years ago when she won an award for her book, Pursuing Prayer—Being Effective in a Busy World.
I will include her social media links and the Amazon link to her award-winning book on pursuing prayer. Please enjoy her post today!
Pray then like this… Matthew 6:9
Do you ever find it difficult to pray, find the time to pray, or know what to pray? Do you know people who seem to pray all the time? Who has time to pray like that when there’s so much else to do? Shouldn’t we just be able to pray once and see results? It all seems so mysterious.
Jesus’ disciples must have wondered some of those things too, because they asked Him, “Teach us to pray.” In response, He gave them what is called, “The Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13). Did He give us this prayer to recite, one and done? I don’t believe so. Besides, He had just told them not to recite vain repetitions (v.7 NKJV).
The Lord’s Prayer is beautiful, but I think there’s more to it than we grasp when we recite it. Perhaps Jesus wasn’t teaching us a prayer, but how to pray – the elements to include in prayer. What are those elements and why are they important to us today? The book, Pursuing Prayer – Being Effective in a Busy World, teaches those elements using an acrostic for prayer. Here is a brief overview of that acrostic:
P – Proactively Pursue Prayer
Jesus left us an example of intentionally getting away from it all to pray (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, 6:12, 9:28). Scripture urges us repeatedly to proactively pursue prayer (Matthew 26:41, Luke 18:1, Ephesians 6:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, and 1 Timothy 2:1).
In today’s busyness, we need to be proactive about a lot of things if we’re going to get everything done. It is no different with prayer. And if we have so much to do, shouldn’t prayer be on the top of our list?
Jesus told them, “Pray then like this…”
In today’s busyness, we need to be proactive about a lot of things if we’re going to get everything done. It is no different with prayer. @penny_cooke #PursuingPrayer #ThisSideofHeaven
Jesus began His prayer with worship, “Hallowed by thy name.” Worship helps us remember who God is and what He has done for us. It builds our faith and also our faithfulness. God repeatedly warned Israel, “…beware, lest you forget the LORD…” and “…you shall remember well what the LORD your God did…” (Deuteronomy 6:12, 7:18)
Psalm 100:4 tells us, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving…” Remembering generates thankfulness and thankfulness produces worship.
A – Acknowledge Sin
This is the “forgive us our debts” piece of the Lord’s Prayer. This does not suggest a brief and general, “Forgive my sins,” but a time to acknowledge and confess specific sins in our lives, and to repent. To repent is to adjust our lives to the ways of God.
Confession is a vital part of prayer, which is often overlooked when we pray short, on-the-go prayers. David recognized, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:28).
Y – Yield to His Will
This covers the “Your Will be done” part of the Lord’s Prayer.
To yield is to submit, to surrender or relinquish control and trust Him whose ways are best. When we pray this part of the Lord’s Prayer, we welcome His will and His kingdom into our lives. It is to, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…” Then the promise: “…all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
E – Enjoy His Daily Bread
Praying for daily bread is about knowing where our provision comes from and trusting God to provide. It is to have faith that He will do what He said He will do, pertaining to daily bread or any other promise He has made to us (John 14:14).
Ultimately, God longs to give us Himself. He gives us Himself through Jesus, the Bread of Life. He provides daily physical bread for our physical life, but He also provides daily spiritual bread for our spiritual life.
R – Rest in the Waiting
We want quick, instant everything nowadays. We expect things to happen now, and we’re always in a rush. We’d do well to hurry up and slow down.
God is never in a hurry. He sees the end from the beginning and knows exactly what and when things need to be done for our prayers to be answered. And He is much too concerned for our spiritual wellbeing to give us anything one minute before its time.
When we trust and wait patiently with thanksgiving, our anxiety is replaced with His peace. We can rest when God’s peace guards our hearts and minds, no matter how long it takes our prayers to come to fruition (Philippians 4:6-7).
When we trust and wait patiently with thanksgiving, our anxiety is replaced with His peace. @penny_cooke #PursuingPrayer #ThisSideofHeaven
How much more effective do you think our prayers could be if we proactively prayed this way more often? That’s not to say there aren’t times when all we can squeeze out is a weak, “Help me, Lord.” I’ve certainly had those times, and I’m sure you have too. I assure you, He hears those prayers. Psalm 34:18 (ESV) tells us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
But in general, when you look at our world today, wouldn’t you say we need more prayer, not less? How do you think our families, our country, and our world could be changed if more of us prayed more like this more often?
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16b NKJV
Would you like to enrich your prayer life? Would you like more power and more answered prayer? Penny’s Six-week Bible study, Pursuing Prayer – Being Effective in a Busy World is ideal for group or personal use. Pursuing Prayer uses the acrostic for prayer to help us understand more deeply what Jesus taught when He gave us The Lord’s Prayer and how important its elements are in our prayer lives today. This book will inspire and motivate us to more fervent and effective prayer.
Find out more at https://www.pennycookeauthor.com where you can download Penny’s FREE ebook, Pursuing Prayer Devotion and Coloring Page.
Penny is the author of Pursuing Prayer – Being Effective in a Busy World, a multi-award-winning Bible study (New Hope Publishers, 2019), most recently a First Place 2020 Selah award (Bible Study category). She has been a contributor to Heart Renovation – A Construction Guide to Godly Character (Lighthouse Bible Studies, 2018), and Let the Earth Rejoice devotional (Worthy Inspired, 2017). She has written for CBN.com and Thoughts-About-God.com and has been a columnist for Blessed Living Women’s E-Magazine. She also enjoys blogging about things of life and faith at pennycookeauthor.com.
Penny and her husband live in Florida and have three grown children and seven grandchildren.
