Incredible true stories that touch the heart and tug at the soul. Are they chance or destiny, coincidence or fate? Do you have your own Go Figure story? Want to share it? E-mail us at gofigureamerica@yahoo.com
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Free Lunch
August 30
The preacher held up a paper bag asking, “There is a gift in here who wants it?” John, who has cerebral palsy, is the first to respond. In the bag is a gift certificate to a restaurant. The preacher makes the point that salvation is like this gift; you have to receive it. The next day John is eating his free lunch with such joy that a couple tell the waitress they want to pay for his meal.
Later another couple does the same. Who said there is no free lunch? John had three.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sign Fall is Coming
August 29
"What do you mean, the change in green. Isn't green, ah--green?" I protest.
Joy explains that as the chlorophyll production slows the greens become muted, a sure sign fall is coming. I hadn't noticed the "change of greens " before but then I’m the last to notice a pregnancy, or that the living room carpet has changed. But I do notice the change of green now.
Change is all part of God's plan. We should embrace it and live each moment fully.
"To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Sunday, August 28, 2011
A Special Moment
Week of August 28
It is September 1, 2006. It is twenty years to the day that Steven perished in a house fire while staying with friends in Vermont. He was 18. His older brother by 15 months is unusually restless on this day. “I think I should go to Steve’s grave,” he says.
“I’ll go with you.”
We bring our son Tommy with us. He is a towhead like Steve was and looks a lot like his uncle did growing up, so much so that Tommy’s grandparents will have a senior moment and call him Steven.
At the simple gravesite in the Village Cemetery behind First Church in Wethersfield Ct. we kneel or squat before the in-ground marker. Being there gives me a chance to talk to Tommy, who at age 12 has expressed fears about death. I share we are a family of faith and believe that death does not have to be final.
I tell him Uncle Steve’s human remains are buried here but that his being, his spirit if you will has moved on to Heaven. Tommy is quiet and nods.
At the precise moment we all rise to leave, the church bell rings out. We are all energized by this serendipitous moment.
We walk the short distance to the car. Rob starts the engine and the radio immediately blares out:
“It was twenty years ago today-” from the Beatles “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band.”
Go Figure! Rob and I take it as a Sign, a la the movie with the same name.
It could also have been a special message to give peace of mind to a worrying nephew.
Melissa Connors
Wethersfield, Connecticut
It is September 1, 2006. It is twenty years to the day that Steven perished in a house fire while staying with friends in Vermont. He was 18. His older brother by 15 months is unusually restless on this day. “I think I should go to Steve’s grave,” he says.
“I’ll go with you.”
We bring our son Tommy with us. He is a towhead like Steve was and looks a lot like his uncle did growing up, so much so that Tommy’s grandparents will have a senior moment and call him Steven.
At the simple gravesite in the Village Cemetery behind First Church in Wethersfield Ct. we kneel or squat before the in-ground marker. Being there gives me a chance to talk to Tommy, who at age 12 has expressed fears about death. I share we are a family of faith and believe that death does not have to be final.
I tell him Uncle Steve’s human remains are buried here but that his being, his spirit if you will has moved on to Heaven. Tommy is quiet and nods.
At the precise moment we all rise to leave, the church bell rings out. We are all energized by this serendipitous moment.
We walk the short distance to the car. Rob starts the engine and the radio immediately blares out:
“It was twenty years ago today-” from the Beatles “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band.”
Go Figure! Rob and I take it as a Sign, a la the movie with the same name.
It could also have been a special message to give peace of mind to a worrying nephew.
Melissa Connors
Wethersfield, Connecticut
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Retreat Center
Week of August 22
Bill and Cindy are a wonderful Christian couple. For years Bill has taught Latin in the Manchester Public School System. Cindy was a youth counselor when she first met Bill. They are married, have six children and are running a retreat center in Hebron, Connecticut called Mary's Field.
.
The Pfeiffers have a modest home for themselves and their children. Despite having a large family they opened their home to unwed pregnant girls who had nowhere to go and wanted to deliver their unborn babies. The family agreed on the need to find a separate place for Mary's Field and expand its reach to anyone seeking deeper spiritual meaning.
Bill said the whole family discussed what an ideal center would look like. Each of the children had things they wanted. The younger children wanted an indoor pool to swim in year round and not have to worry about leaves or cold weather. The youngest boy wanted "a neat robot thing that cleans the pool." One teenager wanted a tennis court and another a jute box. Bill wished for a room large enough to house a small chapel and Cindy visualized a spacious kitchen suitable for volunteers to prepare meals for groups.
Bill, an ordained priest, lead the family in prayer and presented these requests to the Lord. Bill then suggested to the children that they give up something they like, to show their seriousness in making these prayer requests. The children decide to give up watching television.
Almost a year goes by. No television. No retreat center. “Then came God's answer,” Bill said. He receives a call from a Mary’s Field board member who reports a local bank had foreclosed on an estate. A developer had built the mansion as his personal residence during the real estate boom of the early 1980’s.The housing bubble burst, the developer had committed suicide and the bank was left with the property. It had remained vacant for more than a year and the bank “is anxious to unload this white elephant.”
The Pfeiffer family went to take a look. A long secluded driveway leads into the property that includes 23 acres, mostly wooded. A large two-story house sits on a hill overlooking woods and a pond. In front of the house there is a paved area for parking and a lawn with a flagpole. Adjacent to the house is a hard surface tennis court and down the hill is a carriage house large enough to serve as a chapel.
The sprawling contemporary house has a rustic interior with four bedrooms, three baths, and a spacious dining room off of a large kitchen that is suitable for cooking for groups.
There is an indoor pool and yes, it is equipped with a self-cleaning robot. One thing the Pfeiffers hadn't requested was a party room with a built in wet bar. However, in one corner of this room stands a shiny jute box.
"And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Matthew 21:22)
Bill Pfeiffer
Hebron Connecticut
Bill and Cindy are a wonderful Christian couple. For years Bill has taught Latin in the Manchester Public School System. Cindy was a youth counselor when she first met Bill. They are married, have six children and are running a retreat center in Hebron, Connecticut called Mary's Field.
.
The Pfeiffers have a modest home for themselves and their children. Despite having a large family they opened their home to unwed pregnant girls who had nowhere to go and wanted to deliver their unborn babies. The family agreed on the need to find a separate place for Mary's Field and expand its reach to anyone seeking deeper spiritual meaning.
Bill said the whole family discussed what an ideal center would look like. Each of the children had things they wanted. The younger children wanted an indoor pool to swim in year round and not have to worry about leaves or cold weather. The youngest boy wanted "a neat robot thing that cleans the pool." One teenager wanted a tennis court and another a jute box. Bill wished for a room large enough to house a small chapel and Cindy visualized a spacious kitchen suitable for volunteers to prepare meals for groups.
Bill, an ordained priest, lead the family in prayer and presented these requests to the Lord. Bill then suggested to the children that they give up something they like, to show their seriousness in making these prayer requests. The children decide to give up watching television.
Almost a year goes by. No television. No retreat center. “Then came God's answer,” Bill said. He receives a call from a Mary’s Field board member who reports a local bank had foreclosed on an estate. A developer had built the mansion as his personal residence during the real estate boom of the early 1980’s.The housing bubble burst, the developer had committed suicide and the bank was left with the property. It had remained vacant for more than a year and the bank “is anxious to unload this white elephant.”
The Pfeiffer family went to take a look. A long secluded driveway leads into the property that includes 23 acres, mostly wooded. A large two-story house sits on a hill overlooking woods and a pond. In front of the house there is a paved area for parking and a lawn with a flagpole. Adjacent to the house is a hard surface tennis court and down the hill is a carriage house large enough to serve as a chapel.
The sprawling contemporary house has a rustic interior with four bedrooms, three baths, and a spacious dining room off of a large kitchen that is suitable for cooking for groups.
There is an indoor pool and yes, it is equipped with a self-cleaning robot. One thing the Pfeiffers hadn't requested was a party room with a built in wet bar. However, in one corner of this room stands a shiny jute box.
"And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Matthew 21:22)
Bill Pfeiffer
Hebron Connecticut
Monday, August 15, 2011
A Lump in my Throat
Week of August 14, 2011
During a routine physical examination my family doctor found a growth in my throat. He sent me to a specialist who determined it was a five cm tumor that was in such a difficult area of the throat that he recommended another specialist to do the operation. The encouraging news was that the doctor felt it was likely benign.
My position on a local hospital board lead me to see another qualified surgeon but he would not do the surgery but referred me to a surgeon in Texas who he said was considered the best in the nation for this type of operation.
I became very nervous by these developments and my 23 years of working in hospital administration did nothing but increase my anxiety. In short, I became a nervous wreck. This heightened the concern of my adult children who had not seen their dad in such a state.
My online research revealed the potential after effects could be permanent numbness of the tongue, paralyzed facial muscles, speech impediments and vocal cord damage. Now I was a babbling fool worrying about all these possibilities over which I had no control. My research about the hospital and the surgeon gave me some peace of mind but they were both in Texas and I was in Florida. My adult children wanted me to have to operation closer to them so they could be with me.
For the next five months I delayed the inevitable and this was taking a toll on me. I was waking up in the middle of the night in fear of dying. I even rationalized not having the operation if the rate of growth of the tumor was slow enough I could avoid having to remove it. However, reality set in when it became clear that the tumor was blocking my nasal passages and affecting my breathing when I was in certain positions. I was my own worst enemy.
I could see the Lord was trying to help me though other people but I was trying to stay in control. One night I woke up struggling to breath. I got out of bed and fell on my knees and cried out; "Lord I can't do this on my own. I am lost without you. Lord please take control."
During the next week my son David who is a pastor of a church in Massachusetts and who was not expected to make the trip to Texas was able to rearrange his schedule and said he would be able to fly to Houston and be with me. Shortly after this my other son Robert told me he would be with me when David had to leave. I knew this was the Lord showing me that he was in control and working things out.
I flew to Texas for pre-op testing. My confidence in the surgeon was very high. However, he said from the Cat Scan he could see no clear method of removal without the need to split my jaw to gain access to the tumor. He further stated that a group of other surgeons he meets with for pre-op review were all in agreement. The operation was scheduled in two weeks. I was devastated.
I returned home mad about his findings and determined to find another surgeon who would do it my way and remove the tumor without breaking my jaw. I was playing doctor again and trying to take control.
This time being a little more aware of the negative effect of my taking control, I called my Pastor Brian and asked for another prayer session with the church elders.
We arranged the meeting and I tried intensely to convince everyone that I needed their support to find another way. One of the elders, responding with love and compassion sent me to yet another ENT specialist. He refused to do the operation but did offer to pursue other surgeons at Moffit Hospital (in Florida) and Massachusetts General (near my sons).
After making those appointments I woke up one night with and even worst breathing attack. Once again I was back on my knees.I had tried to take control again and I failed again.
I arose the next day in obedience to the Lord and called my son and asked him to meet me in Houston for the operation. The morning I left, my daughter gave me some helpful scriptures for reassurance. (Psalm 34:11-18 and Psalm 55:22)(1Peter 5:6-7) and (Colossians 3:15).
I returned to the surgeon who had scared me out of my wit but I was confident the Lord would answer my prayers and guide this surgeon to remove the tumor without breaking my jaw.
The night before the operation I met the surgeon for the final briefing. He again emphasized that I should be prepared for the jaw splitting. He did not want me to wake up in recovery and be shocked by my condition. Knowing the Lord was in control and would answer my prayers, I looked the doctor in the eye and said; "I know you must do what you think you must do but I believe God will show you another way!" He smiled but said nothing.
I prayed that night along with my son. There were hundreds of people praying for me in three different churches. The operation was performed the next day and I woke up hours later in Intensive Cara... without having a split jaw. The operation was successfully completed by the Great Physician guiding the hands of my Texas surgeon.
What I didn't know was that my surgeon was also a believer and he was willing to be guided by our Lord. When he went to operate he noticed a slight opening and he was able to massage the tumor with a finger into a position where he could remove it.
When I was discharged the surgeon said to me, "prayer does get answered."
I can testify to that. Praise the Lord
Robert Polimeni
Sarasota
Reprinted from the book Go Figure Sarasota/Manatee
available @ Amazon.Com access by typing in Mal Salter
During a routine physical examination my family doctor found a growth in my throat. He sent me to a specialist who determined it was a five cm tumor that was in such a difficult area of the throat that he recommended another specialist to do the operation. The encouraging news was that the doctor felt it was likely benign.
My position on a local hospital board lead me to see another qualified surgeon but he would not do the surgery but referred me to a surgeon in Texas who he said was considered the best in the nation for this type of operation.
I became very nervous by these developments and my 23 years of working in hospital administration did nothing but increase my anxiety. In short, I became a nervous wreck. This heightened the concern of my adult children who had not seen their dad in such a state.
My online research revealed the potential after effects could be permanent numbness of the tongue, paralyzed facial muscles, speech impediments and vocal cord damage. Now I was a babbling fool worrying about all these possibilities over which I had no control. My research about the hospital and the surgeon gave me some peace of mind but they were both in Texas and I was in Florida. My adult children wanted me to have to operation closer to them so they could be with me.
For the next five months I delayed the inevitable and this was taking a toll on me. I was waking up in the middle of the night in fear of dying. I even rationalized not having the operation if the rate of growth of the tumor was slow enough I could avoid having to remove it. However, reality set in when it became clear that the tumor was blocking my nasal passages and affecting my breathing when I was in certain positions. I was my own worst enemy.
I could see the Lord was trying to help me though other people but I was trying to stay in control. One night I woke up struggling to breath. I got out of bed and fell on my knees and cried out; "Lord I can't do this on my own. I am lost without you. Lord please take control."
During the next week my son David who is a pastor of a church in Massachusetts and who was not expected to make the trip to Texas was able to rearrange his schedule and said he would be able to fly to Houston and be with me. Shortly after this my other son Robert told me he would be with me when David had to leave. I knew this was the Lord showing me that he was in control and working things out.
I flew to Texas for pre-op testing. My confidence in the surgeon was very high. However, he said from the Cat Scan he could see no clear method of removal without the need to split my jaw to gain access to the tumor. He further stated that a group of other surgeons he meets with for pre-op review were all in agreement. The operation was scheduled in two weeks. I was devastated.
I returned home mad about his findings and determined to find another surgeon who would do it my way and remove the tumor without breaking my jaw. I was playing doctor again and trying to take control.
This time being a little more aware of the negative effect of my taking control, I called my Pastor Brian and asked for another prayer session with the church elders.
We arranged the meeting and I tried intensely to convince everyone that I needed their support to find another way. One of the elders, responding with love and compassion sent me to yet another ENT specialist. He refused to do the operation but did offer to pursue other surgeons at Moffit Hospital (in Florida) and Massachusetts General (near my sons).
After making those appointments I woke up one night with and even worst breathing attack. Once again I was back on my knees.I had tried to take control again and I failed again.
I arose the next day in obedience to the Lord and called my son and asked him to meet me in Houston for the operation. The morning I left, my daughter gave me some helpful scriptures for reassurance. (Psalm 34:11-18 and Psalm 55:22)(1Peter 5:6-7) and (Colossians 3:15).
I returned to the surgeon who had scared me out of my wit but I was confident the Lord would answer my prayers and guide this surgeon to remove the tumor without breaking my jaw.
The night before the operation I met the surgeon for the final briefing. He again emphasized that I should be prepared for the jaw splitting. He did not want me to wake up in recovery and be shocked by my condition. Knowing the Lord was in control and would answer my prayers, I looked the doctor in the eye and said; "I know you must do what you think you must do but I believe God will show you another way!" He smiled but said nothing.
I prayed that night along with my son. There were hundreds of people praying for me in three different churches. The operation was performed the next day and I woke up hours later in Intensive Cara... without having a split jaw. The operation was successfully completed by the Great Physician guiding the hands of my Texas surgeon.
What I didn't know was that my surgeon was also a believer and he was willing to be guided by our Lord. When he went to operate he noticed a slight opening and he was able to massage the tumor with a finger into a position where he could remove it.
When I was discharged the surgeon said to me, "prayer does get answered."
I can testify to that. Praise the Lord
Robert Polimeni
Sarasota
Reprinted from the book Go Figure Sarasota/Manatee
available @ Amazon.Com access by typing in Mal Salter