GoodNewsWants toKnow....Didyouever haveoneof those years,months, weekends, nights, days when something started out so terribly and ended up absolutely great?! In 2020 a massive wildfire started in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, and was spreading rapidly throughout the area. We rushed out of our home with only a single bag per person and piled into our SUV. As word got to our church family of the danger, a prayer chain began among the members while staff simultaneously leaped to action securing temporary housing for our family. The wildfire, after destroying multiple neighborhoods, stopped right at the edge of our property! So unbelievably grateful to God. But even more delightfully, we got to experience, firsthand, another tangible expression of love from the body of Christ. Beautiful. Christopher C. Simpson, U.S. Government Executive, USSS, Dept. of Homeland Security In May, my wife had an annual checkup and was diagnosed with a cyst that might be cancerous. We traveled to MDAnderson in Houston for a second opinion, and the decision was made to have an exploratory examination and remove the cyst to determine if, in fact, it was cancerous. The morning of the surgery my wife was in Pre-Op when I received an email froma friend that he had just lost his wife to the same cancer. Over the next several hours I sat in the waiting room, by myself, and soon realized that I was powerless to make a difference. Seconds seemed like hours. I began to think about life without Kathy and how my life would change forever. I prayed for comfort and the strength to handle whatever may come. The surgery was over, and the Doctor escorted me to a private room. The surgery was successful, and he did not feel it was cancer. They removed the cyst and weeks later his diagnosis was confirmed. What a day! A terrible start and a wonderful outcome. Praise God! Andy Mitchell, President/CEO, The Fairwinds Group Usually, these Cinderella moments occur when I'm at "whit's end corner." Recently this happened when we were debarking in a foreign airport where no one spoke English. After 90+ minutes of being precluded by multiple customs agents in several lines from exiting even to the bag claim area in the terminal, I surrendered, prayed and above me appeared a sign that led to purchasing a small sticker we needed to satisfy customs—all steps taken using sign language of course! William “Bill” C. Davell, Director, Tripp Scott PA This question defines eight of the days throughout the past eighteen years of my life that many people simply call Election Day! Chip LaMarca, State Representative, Florida House District 100 What comes to mind is the mini lobster season last July 27. My son, Daniel, wanted to go to Deerfield to lobster with friends at night. Reluctantly, I acquiesced. We went out Hillsboro Inlet at 11, but he had forgotten the GPS, so we were driving blind in the pitch black. After two hours of bobbing up and down in 4-foot seas, with an occasional 5footer, we loaded up and headed back in. Hillsboro is very treacherous, especially with an off-shore wind on and out-going tide. Miraculously, our flats boat made it without mishap. No lobsters! What was great was surviving and my crew realizing that some ideas need thoroughly to be thought through before undertaking. H. Collins Forman, Jr., P.A. My first trip to Singapore was for a conference we were hosting, and I would be presenting. I had traveled to Europe often, but never to Asia. I arrived in LAwith our company president and other executives to catch our connecting flight. I was last to check-in. When I approached the counter, the gate agent informed me that I did not have a seat on the plane and that the next available flight was in two days. Somehow my checked bags were good to go and were on the plane. They were headed to Singapore, and I would arrive the day after my presentation! It turns out I was supposed to confirm my flight directly with the carrier 48 hours in advance or lose my seat. The team gave me their sad farewells as I watched everyone board. I was the last person in the gate area and was about to leave and arrange a flight home when they called me to the desk. I was in luck. Another passenger not only failed to confirm their seat, but they were also a no-show. Their seat was all mine as long as I didn’t mind flying first class on SingaporeAirlines. What began as a bad day was suddenly a great day. Craig D. Huston, Huston Consulting Group, LLC Recently, I hired a handyman who said he knew how to install a floating laminate floor. It quickly became obvious he didn't, plus he was using glue when the product directions said that would negate the warranty. He was making such a mess, he walked off the job and wasn't nice about it. Also feeling upset, I called a friend to pray with me. I ended my prayer with, "I just need You, Jesus to help me." About an hour later, my phone rang, and the caller said, "Hola, es Jesus." He had seen my Angie's List request from days before, and now "Jesus" was calling me! He arrived promptly the next morning, tore up the mess the other guy had made and, in less than a day, Jesus beautifully installed my flooring - charging me less than the original installer's quote. Jesus came to my rescue and wanted to make sure that I knew it was all His doing! Deborah Cusick, FAUCampus Volunteer, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship “Three years of hurricanes hitting South Florida culminated with major damage to two buildings on the church property where I was serving my first pastorate. We cleaned up the property, saw 60% of membership and donations disappear as we restored and cleaned up during the last year, and my wife had a miscarriage to top it off. Being part of restoring the sanctuary, praying over the poured concrete foundation with a few loyal parishioners, re-opening to a full sanctuary, and announcing that my wife was pregnant again on opening day was incredibly satisfying. From dust, water damage, andmany headaches, and heartaches we saw the re-launching of amulti-cultural faith community that continues to thrive to this day ...and our daughter turned 14 this last year! To God be the glory!” Dennis DeMarois, Exececutive Director/CEO, Gathering Palm Beach County Andy Mitchell William “Bill” C. Davell Chip LaMarca H. Collins Forman Craig D. Huston Deborah Cusick Wants to Know… Christopher C. Simpson
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