: THIS WONDERFUL STORY...
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Please read this story (if you haven't already seen
> > > > > > before). It has a powerful message.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On July 22nd I was enroute to Washington, DC for
> > > > > > a business trip. It was all so very ordinary, until we
> > > > > > landed in Denver for a plane change. As I collected my
> > > > > > belongings from the overhead bin, an announcement was
> > > > > > made for Mr.Lloyd Glenn to see the United Customer
> > > > > > Service Representative immediately.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I thought nothing of it until I reached the door to
> > > > > > leave the plane, and I heard a gentleman asking every
> > > > > > male if they were Mr. Glenn. At this point I knew
> > > > > > something was wrong and my heart sunk. When I
> > > > > > got off the plane a solemn-faced young man came
> > > > > > toward me and said, "Mr. Glenn, there is an emergency
> > > > > > at your home. I do not know what the emergency is, or
> > > > > > who is involved, but I will take you to the phone so you
> > > > > > can call the hospital." My heart was now pounding, but
> > > > > > the will to be calm took over.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Woodenly, I followed this stranger to the distant
> > > > > > telephone where I called the number he gave me for
> > > > > > the Mission Hospital. My call was put through to
> > > > > > the trauma center where I learned that my three-
> > > > > > year-old son had been trapped underneath the
> > > > > > automatic garage door for several minutes, and
> > > > > > that when my wife had found him he was dead.
> > > > > > CPR had been performed by a neighbor, who is a
> > > > > > doctor, and the paramedics had continued the
> > > > > > treatment as Brian was transported to the hospital.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > By the time of my call, Brian was revived and they
> > > > > > believed he would live, but they did not know how
> > > > > > much damage had been done to his brain, nor to his
> > > > > > heart. They explained that the door had completely
> > > > > > closed on his little sternum right over his heart. He
> > > > > > had been severely crushed.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > After speaking with the medical staff, my wife
> > > > > > sounded worried but not hysterical, and I took
> > > > > > comfort in her calmness. The return flight seemed
> > > > > > to last forever,! but finally I arrived at the hospital
> > > > > > six hours after the garage door had come down.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > When I walked into the intensive care unit, nothing
> > > > > > could have prepared me to see my little son laying so
> > > > > > still on a great big bed with tubes and monitors
> > > > > > everywhere. He was on a respirator. I glanced at my
> > > > > > wife who stood and tried to give me a reassuring smile.
> > > > > > It all seemed like a terrible dream. I was filled-in with
> > > > > > the details and given a guarded prognosis. Brian was
> > > > > > going to live, and the preliminary tests indicated that
> > > > > > his heart was OK, two miracles in one and of themselves.
> > > > > > But only time would tell if his brain received any damage.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Throughout the seemingly endless hours, my wife was
> > > > > > calm. She felt that Brian would eventually be all right.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I hung on to her words and faith like a lifeline. All
> > > > > > that night and the next day Brian remained unconscious.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > It seemed like forever since I had left for my business
> > > > > > trip the day before. Finally at two o'clock that
> > > > > > afternoon, our son regained consciousness and sat up
> > > > > > uttering the most beautiful words I have ever heard
> > > > > > spoken. He said, "Daddy hold me" and he reached for
> > > > > > me with his little arms.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > By the next day he was pronounced as having no
> > > > > > neurological or physical deficits, and the story of his
> > > > > > miraculous survival spread throughout the hospital.
> > > > > > You cannot imagine how we felt as we took Brian home.
> > > > > > We felt a unique reverence for the life and love of our
> > > > > > Heavenly Father that comes to those who brush death
> > > > > > so closely.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > In the days that followed there was a special spirit
> > > > > > about our home. Our two older children were much
> > > > > > closer to their little brother. My wife and I were much
> > > > > > closer to each other, and all of us were very close as a
> > > > > > whole family.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Life took on a less stressful pace. Perspective seemed
> > > > > > to be more focused, and balance much easier to gain
> > > > > > and maintain. We felt deeply blessed. Our gratitude
> > > > > > was truly profound. The story is not over (smil! e)!
> > > > > > Almost a month later to the day of the accident, Brian
> > > > > > awoke from his afternoon nap and said, "Sit down
> > > > > > Mommy. I have something to tell you." At this time
> > > > > > in his life, Brian usually spoke in small phrases, so to
> > > > > > say a large sentence surprised my wife. She sat down
> > > > > > with him on his bed, and he began his sacred and
> > > > > > remarkable story.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "Do you remember when I got stuck under the garage
> > > > > > door? Well, it was so heavy and it hurt really bad. I
> > > > > > called to you, but you couldn't hear me. I started to
> > > > > > cry, but then it hurt too bad. And then the 'birdies'
> > > > > > came."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "The birdies?" my wife asked puzzled.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "Yes," he replied. "The birdies made a whooshing
> > > > > > sound and flew into the garage. They took care of me."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "They did?"
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "Yes," he said. "one of the birdies came and got you.
> > > > > > She came to tell you I got stuck under the door."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > A sweet reverent feeling filled the room. The spirit
> > > > > > was so strong and yet lighter than air. My wife
> > > > > > realized that a three-year-old had no concept of
> > > > > > death and spirits, so he was referring to the beings
> > > > > > who came to him from beyond as "birdies" because
> > > > > > they were up in the air like birds that fly. "What did
> > > > > > the birdies look like?" she asked.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Brian answered, "They were so beautiful. They were
> > > > > > dressed in white, all white. Some of them had green
> > > > > > and white. But some of them had on just white."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "Did they say anything?"
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "Yes," he answered. "They told me the baby would
> > > > > > be all right."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "The baby?" my wife asked confused.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Brian answered. "The baby laying on the garage
> > > > > > floor." He went on, "You came out and opened the
> > > > > > garage door and ran to the baby. You told the baby
> > > > > > to stay and not leave."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > My wife nearly collapsed upon hearing this, for she
> > > > > > had indeed gone and knelt beside Brian's body and
> > > > > > seeing his crushed chest whispered, "Don't leave
> > > > > > us Brian, please stay if you can."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > As she listened to Brian telling her the words she
> > > > > > had spoken, she realize! d that the spirit had left his
> > > > > > body and was looking down from above on this little
> > > > > > lifeless form. "Then what happened?" she asked..
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "We went on a trip." he said, "Far, far away." He
> > > > > > grew agitated trying to say the things he didn't seem
> > > > > > to have the words for. My wife tried to calm and
> > > > > > comfort him, and let him know it would be okay. He
> > > > > > struggled with wanting to tell something that obviously
> > > > > > was very important to him, but finding the words was
> > > > > > difficult. "We flew so fast up in the air. They're so
> > > > > > pretty Mommy," he added. "And there are lots and
> > > > > > lots of birdies."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > My wife was stunned. Into her mind the sweet
> > > > > > comforting spirit enveloped her more soundly, but
> > > > > > with an urgency she had never before known. Brian
> > > > > > went on to tell her that the "birdies" had told him
> > > > > > that he had to come back and tell everyone about the
> > > > > > "birdies." He said they brought him back to the house
> > > > > > and that a big fire truck, and an ambulance were there.
> > > > > > A man was bringing the baby out on a white bed and
> > > > > > he tried to tell the man that the baby would be okay,
> > > > > > but the man couldn't hear him. He said the birdies told
> > > > > > him he had to go with the ambulance, but they would be
> > > > > > near him. He said they were so pretty and so peaceful,
> > > > > > and he didn't want to come back.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Then the bright light came. He said that the light
> > > > > > was so bright and so warm, and he loved the bright
> > > > > > light so much.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Someone was in the bright light and put their arms
> > > > > > around him, and told him, "I love you but you have
> > > > > > to go back. You have to play baseball, and tell
> > > > > > everyone about the birdies.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "Then the person in the bright light kissed him and
> > > > > > waved bye-bye. Then woosh, the big sound came
> > > > > > and they went into the clouds.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The story went on for an hour. He taught us that
> > > > > > "birdies" were always with us, but we don't see them
> > > > > > because we look with our eyes and we don't hear them
> > > > > > because we listen with our ears. But they are always
> > > > > > there, you can only see them in here (! he put his hand
> > > > > > over his heart). They whisper the things to help us to
> > > > > > do what is right because they love us so much.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Brian continued, stating, "I have a plan, Mommy.
> > > > > > You have a plan. Daddy has a plan. Everyone has a
> > > > > > plan. We must all live our plan and keep our promises.
> > > > > > The birdies help us to do that cause they love us so much."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > In the weeks that followed, he often came to us and
> > > > > > told all, or part of it, again and again.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Always the story remained the same. The details were
> > > > > > never changed or out of order. A few times he added
> > > > > > further bits of information and clarified the message
> > > > > > he had already delivered. It never ceased to amaze
> > > > > > us how he could tell such detail and speak beyond
> > > > > > his ability when he talked about his birdies.
> > > > > > Everywhere he went, he told strangers about the
> > > > > > "birdies." Surprisingly, no one ever looked at him
> > > > > > strangely when he did this. Rather, they always got
> > > > > > a softened look on their face and smiled. Needless to
> > > > > > say, we have not been the same ever since that day,
> > > > > > and I pray we never will be.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > An Angel To Watch over You
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Some people come into our lives and quickly go...
> > > > > > Some people become friends and stay a while... leaving
> > > > > > beautiful footprints on our hearts... and we are never
> > > > > > quite the same because we have made a good friend!!
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Yesterday is history.. Tomorrow a mystery.. Today
> > > > > > is a gift..That's why it's called the present! Live and
> > > > > > savor every moment.....this is not a dress rehearsal