Angels are a reality. The Bible is full of stories about angels and teaches us that we have a guardian angel from the moment of our birth. Throughout the ages, angels have intervened in the lives of humans, helping and protecting us. When it happens close to home, it can be a life-changing experience. Guideposts Magazine published so many angel stories that they eventually launched a new publication titled Angels on Earth (www.guideposts.com). I highly recommend it, along with Guideposts Magazine.
I read a story about a woman who had to walk home in the dark. She was frightened, but she had no choice. She was suddenly joined by a big beautiful dog. He walked next to her until she reached her front door and opened it. Then he looked at her, wagged his tail, and trotted away. After she locked her door she sank into a chair, not quite believing what had just happened. The dog was her own beloved pet and he had been dead for quite a while.
When I was very young my dad told me his own ‘ghost story’. He and one of his brothers were walking home from a neighbor’s farm. It was almost dark and they took a shortcut through a wooded area. Halfway through the woods his brother needed to stop and tie one of his shoe laces. While waiting for him, my dad looked around and was startled to see a woman standing under a large tree a few yards away. She was dressed in white and seemed to be watching them. When his brother stood up, he saw her. The boys hurried through the woods, glancing over their shoulders. Only when they reached home did they speak of what they saw. When they went inside they learned their baby sister had died moments earlier. I think my dad decided then and there the lady in white was an angel.
Years ago a friend of mine became very close to a neighbor. They spent many hours discussing life and death, and the hereafter. Then the neighbor became very ill. During one of their last conversations he promised to come back and let her know if the afterlife was as wonderful as they expected it to be. Not long after his death she looked up and saw him standing in the doorway between her living room and kitchen. He smiled and told her things were even better than they anticipated. “And you’re doing exactly what you should be doing.” She had her art supplies spread all over the living room floor and was preparing to paint a new picture. She’s a very talented artist and he loved her art.
While watching television one evening my niece’s husband looked down the hallway and saw his deceased mother-in-law studying their wall gallery of family pictures. He watched her as she gazed at the pictures and then faded away. My sister had a similar experience after her husband died. She followed him through the house until he went into the kitchen and turned to the right toward the back door. When she reached the kitchen, he was gone.
I’ve never seen a ghost or an angel, but I believe they exist. My mother died many years ago. Since then I’ve heard her distinctly call my name more than once and it wasn’t frightening at all.
Years ago my husband’s father told this story to his brother, Ray. Ray’s son related it to me. “Uncle Gene had been out hunting on Crowley's Ridge and was descending a hill when he saw a woman, dressed in white, on the path below him. He immediately recognized her as his mother, who died several years before. The woman smiled at him and left the path, disappearing into the surrounding woods. Now if you'd ever met Uncle Gene, you'd realize at once that he was a very practical man, absolutely not given to any flights of fancy, and he seldom mentioned this experience to anyone, and never to anyone outside the family. He told it to my dad only once and my dad was convinced that Uncle Gene was sincere.”
Decide for yourself. It’s easy for those who have had such experiences to believe, but if you close your eyes and think about it you’ll most likely become a believer too.
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Do You Believe in UFOs?
One of the best UFO movies ever made was The Day the Earth Stood Still. The giant robot that accompanied Michael Rennie's character to Earth, and had the power to bring everything to a full stop, scared the wits out of me. The fact that he was selective (he allowed planes to fly and hospitals to retain power) didn't help a lot. After seeing that movie, I often looked up at the sky and wondered.
Do you believe in UFOs? UFO sightings have been reported for over half a century. Stories abound. People have claimed they were abducted, and then returned with a computer chip embedded in them. Others claim they were used by aliens for experimental purposes.
Although many people firmly believe in the existence of life on other planets and space travel, others prefer to think the sightings are merely orchestrated events. Whichever is true (and you have to decide for yourself), it makes for interesting books and movies.