Hi! What are you guys talking about?
We're just talking about small miracles and things that
happened in our life.
Oh! I love small miracles. Can I tell you one?
Yeah! I went with
my husband and Jackie, my seven year old
to Madison Wisconsin and we were going to
visit my in-laws for Christmas. So we're on this trip
and we took probably more money than we had
just because... my husband is doing music, he's a musician
but he was also selling real estate, so we had extra money
so we took more money than we should have taken
and we went on for Christmas, we had a great time
it was a great trip, we came back home and
while we were gone, the owner of the business that my husband
worked in had died. It was a big deal.
It was a sudden thing. He had this massive heart-attack
so Brad lost all his income and all his pending income
and we all of a sudden were in like such a jam
I don't know about.. You guys have your families
but we were like...
the statistics say that you're three paychecks away
away form being on the streets, you know, for most families and
all of a sudden we realized we had no money in the bank-account
we were not really having money for groceries and things
like that. I called the church and got money from church and so
I get this letter in the mail, and the letter is from
the San Francisco Opera.
and I thought: What a strange thing!
it's addressed to Brad, so I gave it to Brad
and Brad had worked for the San Francisco Opera
ten years earlier
and he opened the letter and it says:
Oh, we finally found you. This is money left over
for an opera you did for us
and we couldn't track you down.
And there was a check in there. And I thought:
No way. And I just got chills.
And I kept it. During this whole time I was discouraged
I kept it in my purse and any time I felt discouraged
I pulled out that letter and just read it and say
You know what?! God's in control.
So how about you guys? I love miracles.
I think everybody's got at least a little miracle
in their life something they can remember.
A couple of weeks ago... I work at a radio station,
Christian radio station
and a lot of times I get strange people calling
because I work the late shift
which is the 7 - 10 o'clock.. Wait a minute, I've called in
No, I didn't... I get a lot of people that call up.
Some are very strange people, people who are drunk,
people who are living with cancer
or people who are mentally ill, a lot of times call in
which is kind of a scary situation.
But a couple of weeks ago I've had probably
one of the worst calls I've ever had before,
there was a lady who had called in and was talking about
that she had actually talked someone out of suicide
earlier that day and she thought that I should say
something over the air.
People praise the Lord that she had talked to somebody
Cause that's a great thing, to somebody out of suicide
You feel like you've saved somebody's life.
And so I said: yeah, sure
and than, in my next break I went on and basically said
We need togive praise to the Lord today, because
I just talked to a lady who talked somebody out of suicide
Well, just as I got off the air
a few minutes later, I had a guy call in
and he was crying and he said:
You know, I was and for a long time have been
considering suicide and I was actually on my way to the place
where I was going to do it.
- No way.
and he'd heard me say over the air to praise The Lord,
because she had talked somebody out of suicide
and at that point he turned around and went home.
...Just jump that into your life and intrude your life like that
it just turned my whole night around.
- That's incredible.
You know, The Holy Spirit just working on that guy
so that he wouldn't kill himself.
That's just incredible.
I have a small miracle that happened to me was...
it was probably the beginning of the year
when I was getting in trouble and stuff, and I had to go to
the city hall and I did a program
it was a scholarship program
and they take you to do all this stuff, we had to do
community service, but one of the things they had us do is
go tour the jail.
And I thought they were just gonna take us through there
But what they actually did was they
they told us from now on you're now considered prisoners
they actually made you play the role as a prisoner?
yeah. They've put us against the wall, they've spread
and they've had us down and everything
How strange. How did that feel?
It was weird 'cause they really handcuffed us
and they took us in a room and we had to stand
they took us out in public and all the school was watching
I felt like a prisoner,
I felt... Oh, it was horrible.
and these little... kids came by
and we went to the area where they
searched them down really good
and they took everything out of our pockets
took off our shoes, everything
took everything out of our hair, jewelry
and than they took us in a holding cell,
and we had to sit there and
and for each one of us, they took us in a room
and they'd make us strip down our clothes
and they'd put us in prisoner outfits.
and give us our sheets and everything that you'd normally
have as a prisoner. And I felt like
I felt horrible
And they took us upstairs to where the prison was
and they just left us in there for about two hours
and me and two of my friends were huddled up against the wall
I mean we were scared to death...
So they left you in with the prisoners?
They actually left you in the room. I was actually
really scared cause there were about five ladies downstairs
and they were saying: we don't want to spend the night
with a bunch of little kids
and started going upstairs and the guard came back in
and do u what you guys'd normally do
and so, she left, the guard left again
and the lady came back downstairs
there's like these tables right here, and than there is the wall
and we were like right there
And we're sitting there and the ladies around the table
were talking to us and gave us a hard time
you know, making things really uncomfortable.
and than, the guard came in a little while later
and she said, now get your stuff, you're out of here.
Should have said thank you.
Yes, we were so relieved
We were scared out of our minds.
and we picked up our stuff and than we went out the door
and the ladies were still talking to us, yelling at us...
- What was the miracle?
The miracle was that it took all that to turn me around
and that's why I'm actually here,
'cause if that wouldn't have happened, I guess
I was still out there doing all that stuff...
So through all that... that was the miracle. Cause in reality
they actually booked you and took pictures and everything?
Yeah. I still have the pictures.
That's amazing. Even... I don't want to seem sexist
But even as a guy that would scare me.
To be put in that situation.
The guys had that too and they were scared out.
Very degrading.
Did it make you feel like that?
Did it make you feel like you had a loss of dignity?
It did, it did. Because they have the right to
to say anything to me and do anything to me
and it just made me feel really bad
I didn't like it.
Like your life was in their hands. Exactly.
Anything could happen.
They could have just leaped right at me or whatever.
That's scary. I would have been mad.
I would have been like... you know
'cause it took a lot of that, just to turn around.
I thought that was a miracle that happened to me.
That is a miracle. That is incredible.
I don't wanna embarrass you, but can I say one thing?
'Cause I met you after that, right?
Yeah. I met you after that. And your aunt called me on the phone
I think this was the miracle, that your aunt called me on
the phone and said: I'm worried about her, her mom's worried
about her and we just don't know what it's gonna take
And they know what my background is
that I'm a recovering addict
and I have all this stuff in my background
so I said: You know, just invite me to dinner
and I'm always to confirm
so I said: just invite me to dinner
and I'd come over and see if we could talk about it all
and when I came in
and what I was impressed with you
is that you're this beautiful girl and
and you were just sitting there like this
I don't know what you're doing
I don't know what you're thinking
and so I asked you a question
about your drug habits
and you weren't gonna answer me
and you looked at your mom and
and than I asked You have a diary
and she says:
Yes I have a diary, and I said
Can I just read your diary?
and than we don't have to talk
I can know what's really happening
and she's like:
You know you can't read my diary
and than after that
I got bothered at the studio
we started working together
and I think the miracle
from the scared stage program
all the way through working with us
with us on the team ministry
is amazing to watch
and this is all within
the last few months
you know, when I first showed up
to the studio, I felt like God
was telling me to go
cause the weekend before that
you were gone out of town
and than, the weekend after that
I showed up. I don't know why
I just felt that I had to go
and the time I did go I got
the invite letter and everything, the audition.
I think that's an amazing miracle.
You know, it makes me think, Shani
I know a miracle about you
about being on this trip
Can you talk about that
a little bit?
I just... it's kind of like you said
'cause before I started doing this
I've always believed in God
and I went to church when I was a kid,
but it's like
God was never part of my everyday life
it wasn't someone that I
really consulted before and
to make decisions and
it wasn't something that I did
and than, through a shelter home
I found you and I found this program,
and now I'm so much more in touch
with all my spiritual life
Wait. I gotta say, the first time
I met you
the first time I met Shani
it was so funny cause
I'd go in the shelter home
and there's seven people I think
seven people, and I'm gonna go in
and talk about my recovery
from being on the streets
so Im going in and I wanna
introduce myself and talk about
what's your name and your name
and what are you here for
and so everybody's saying
My name is Sara and
and I'm here for this
my name is such and such
and I'm here for this
and so Shan comes: - My name is Shani
and I said: what are you here for
and she tells me:
- none of your business
and I thought: good answer
it was so funny
and from that first encounter
with I don't even know who you are
to where I hope that we are friends
and crazy about each other
so that to me alone is a miracle.
But that's not the one
I was talking about
I was talking about you
being on this trip
I wanted, I really really wanted
to go on this trip
and there were some things
happening in my life
I wasn't going to be aloud
to come on this trip
and than, I prayed every day
that I could come on this trip
the people prayed for me
and than, one day
after all this thing
No, you're not gonna be able to go
you're not gonna be able to go
and than, one day they just called
and they were: Yeah, you can go
I was like thank You, God
when they called me
I did exactly the same thing
I cried and I thought
what an incredible miracle
that you're with us
and you could come
That's amazing
Mine wasn't the same story
but just how I got here
how I met you, Cheri
the things that God's told me
things that He has for me to do
and different promises
that He's made
and things about singing
and reaching out to people
just having a ministry
to young kids
I know the story you're gonna tell
It's funny
I don't know
I think just Him being
giving His promises
and I'm like, ok
I'm involved with the ministry
but I have certain things set out
and scheduled out
and there's things that He's promised that I don't see
how they're gonna be fulfilled
or how it's gonna work out
and not doubting God, but just
wandering: how is it gonna happen
or when is it gonna happen?
I live in Texas
and I took a break and went home
for about a week, five days
and I ended up going to a retreat
with my mom and met Cheri
and God totally opened up the door
for us to come her and
Wait, wait, it's so cool
We're in this prayer group
and I hadn't seen you yet
I haven't met you yet
and carrying it's...
I really wanna sing
but I feel like I always hold back
and I would like to be able to sing for the Lord
that's what you said and so everybody on this trip
said: well let's pray for you
lets pray that God works to that through The Holly Spirit
so we all started to pray and one woman sits up and says
why don't we sing while we pray?
would you be embarrassed to sing the song that you sang?
it was so incredible. I was so blessed. Can you?
you're doing so good this far. Ok.
holy, holy Lord
God of power and might
Heaven and earth, they are filled with Your glory
holy, holy, holy Lord
God of power and might
Heaven and earth, they are filled with Your glory.
Hosanna, Hosanna
in the highest
Hosanna, Hosanna
in the highest
That was cool. That was awesome.
I'm telling you, I felt shivers all over my body.
You come and sing for me.
What was really fun was that after she stopped
we were doing the auditions for the teen show
so we were doing the auditions at the time that I was at
this woman's retreat as a speaker
so she sings, and she's singing about God using her in music
and at the end of the prayer I thought I
don't want to be too pushy, but how soon did you want to
get used? Do you remember that? - Yeah, I was thinking: what?
So tell the rest. It was too fun, too fun.
So Cheri said, and I could tell she was kind of like:
I don't want to seem rude, but I want you on my show
I was like: What I didn't hear her say anything
about what she was doing, so they were like:
we got to have you do an audition,
and they were doing them on a Thursday
and I had scheduled something with my church
and I was like: theres no way that I was heading back to Texas
and they were like: well we got to do it tomorrow
I was like: Oh Lord, and I just prayed and
I felt like God saying to me, Karen this is a door
I'm opening for you and I want you to do this.
and we had a little cam corder.
we didn't even have the studio cameras, a little camcorder
and we had one person that knew a song that you know
and had it play, so it wasn't a rehearse thing
she didn't have time to rehearse things for the audition
and we did the audition right there
You know, somebody said, and I have to tell you this Karen
somebody said to me, during that time, they said
Karen, you're so lucky
that his happened and that Cheri was here and heard you
and I thought I'm so lucky
because I do think you're going to have a ministry
I think as soon as you get your first cd, I want it signed
I think it would be so awesome.
Everybody will start a list now. Isn't that cool?
Yeah, that is too fun.
So, any other miracles?
Miracles to me are so incredible.
Actually, it's not really a happy miracle
I guess it's in the process of becoming a happy miracle
My brother had been involved in all kinds of drugs and stuff
and he finally decided to get help
So my parents sent him to Jamaica
- Jamaica? - Yeah.
Can I tell your parents I'm in trouble?
He's going through a program down there, going to school
and my parents read me a letter that he had wrote
and he said how much he's changed
and when he comes home he's just going to be totally changed
I totally think that that's really great
Do you miss him
from the time he got into drugs to who he was before that?
Yeah, a lot. Cause we were really close.
So that's a miracle, Youll be able to see him as he is
and stop seeing the drugs.
How old is your brother?
He's seventeen.
Is he allowed to call you?
Not right now. He will eventually.
He can write letters and we can fax him, but
and he can write back, but we can't talk to him.
I miss my brother a lot.
if anyone here knows I have a brother. I know I miss him.
Do you know why they do that?
I worked in a recovery center
for people when they when they first got into placement
and they don't allow anyone in the family to talk or call
because they want them to focus on recovery
and focus on the work they're doing
and if you call, even foe a minute
it's like I want you to rescue me, you won't believe it here
it's terrible.
and than it takes a while to get back in the program.
Yeah, I can understand that.
Yeah. What a miracle.
We got to remember pray about that too
during this process.
I have a miracle. It's kind of small, but
it's a miracle.
And it counts.
someone accidentally opened the door really hard
and it slammed into my forehead
so I was having this really bad headache
and it was just killing me.
and it was getting worse by the minute
and than my dad started to think I had a concution
and, you know, t just hurt a lot
and my dad was getting really worried, so
he decided that he might want to pray
cause praying always works.
Praying is always the best decision, sometimes.
and he prayed and when he was over
and when he was finished praying I just had this
wonderful feeling of peace, it just swept over me
and my headache was completely gone. It was just wonderful.
All your headache was gone?
I think that it's totally cool, how God can just take control
just when you need it.
I think a lot of people have miracles
they do not even think about, happen to them daily.
Just little things. Exactly.
Cause your life is just going by so fast
you don't realize that all these miracles are happening to you.
Even if it's finding your car keys, you know.
It can be a big thing when you're late you know.
For my husband he says it's his golf ball.
I have another one that's really fun
I was driving on the street and I had to go in
and, say, talk to a pastor at this church
so while I was talking to the pastor I thought
I have to talk to the person who was running women's ministry too
so it was two people I had to talk too.
and the day was just packed. I didn't have time
to do anything else, so I was passing the church
so I stopped the car and ran in
and the first thing they said was: I'm sorry,
the pastor is not here. And than I thought, ok.
How about the person in women's ministry?
No, she's not here. And so I thought
And I'm trying in my mind to think what I'm going to do now
cause I'm so short in time
and the phone rings and it's the pastor
so I thought, oh good, so I was talking to the pastor
and as we are wrapping up, the other line rings
and it's the woman's ministry person
and I talked to her and I got both things done
and I looked at the receptionist and said:
Isn't God fun?
She just laughed.
Somebody had said: you know, I think that's a coincidence
and I think, you don't know my God than
because He is fun like that, He does things that
you know He's involved, you know.
You get that feeling that it's not just coincidence
There's interaction
It's like this cosmic smile
I think that God is involved in our lives a lot of times
we don't even start to realize it, it's like
something happens and than all of a sudden it's better
and I think we don't take time out of our days
to start thinking at things like that
and we just think: Oh yeah, and we happily go on with our day
instead of thinking, you know, there's a reason
why it's happening and there's a person who did this.
it didn't just happen for no particular reason
I feel like I'm taking advantage of Him
He gives me so much great stuff
I have another miracle. Go ahead.
I think I was about seven or eight
we used to live in California, we're driving down the highway
we were going to Disneyland
and we had a flat tire, we pulled over
and it was this busy highway,
we didn't think anybody would pull over
and the phone didn't work, most phones on the highway
and this car pulled up, this guy came out
and we didn't have that jack to take the bullets off the wheel
and he had one in his car, and we didn't have a spare tire
and he said that he would go to his house, where he lived
and get his spare tire.
and where he lived was at least an hour drive
and he went off with his car to go get it
and he came back twenty minutes later
It was weird and he had a spare tire
He went home? Yeah, and he had a spare tire
We were so relieved and thought that was really odd
My mom thought he was an angel
because we know that people don't usually pull over
Especially in the area where we were
and he put it on for us and everything
we thanked him and we really thought he was an angel
It was a miracle that he even showed up
Whether it was an angel or not, it was really neat
I think that God had sent him
I think God sends people to us all the time
and we have no idea.
One time I was on a trip to, again, Wisconsin
another trip, and there was a blizzard, it was really snowy
and blizzard, and my husband wanted to show me something
that was a surprise
It was a monument or something that he wanted to show me
He's always proud to show me those things
cause he had a normal childhood and I kind of didn't
and we were on our way and I thought
there's no way were going to be seeing this because
we were in this blizzard
and he said really seriously: Sheri we just pray about it
and I thought: pray for what?
and he said: Pray that God stops the blizzard
and I thought: No, way.
You cannot just say: Lord, excuse me, can you stop
the entire weather thing for us to see this monument
and than I looked at him and he was tearing up
because if there was some reason that it was important
for him to share this experience with me
so I realized it was important and I prayed harder
than I've ever prayed
and all of a sudden, this is true
and I've got pictures of it, it was so amazing
the weather changed, the sky started clearing up and
when we got there, there were still people cleaning the roads
and we were at Devil's Tower in South Dakota
we hiked around it and as we came around the tower
the tower which is a mile high
the sun totally shone on the tower for five minutes
and was gone. And Brad and I just stood there and said
God can even change the weather
Now, what's really funny and I've got to end with this
is my daughter, if she's at a baseball game, she's seven
she says: Dear Lord, will You please stop the rain?
and I think it's not typical that God changes the weather,
but He loves us enough that it's amazing what He is willing to do
and the miracles that we can count on.
Thank You for joining us on Teen Pathways
and remember that we have a God that does miracles
every single day. It's such an incredible thing.
So keep praying and keep your eyes open for miracles.