Charles E. Sellier - Miracles and Other Wonders: Inspirational, true stories of ordinary lives changed forever by miracles.

ISBN: 9781495113871

Copyright 2014 Charles E. Sellier

Published by:

Aether Pictures, LLC dba Aether Pictures & Publishing

1900 Northwest Boulevard

Suite 106A

Coeur dAlene, ID 83814

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private use-other than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews-without prior written consent of the publisher.

Dedication

To Governor Mike Leavitt and Sheriff Mike

Spanos, the two "Mikes" in my life, who have

helped me learn the benefits of helping others.

I am deeply grateful to both of them.

Acknowledgment

I want to express my deep appreciation

to Joe Meier for his editorial assistance on this book.

Both of us are in awe of what our research uncovered.

Miracles & Other Wonders is based on the original research of

Charles E. Sellier, Tod Swindell and Jay Talley

Contents

Preface

IN SEARCH OF MIRACLES & OTHER WONDERS

I have written a number of books, all of them firmly grounded in that great adventure we call "real life." For the past eighteen years I have devoted most of my efforts to the production of motion pictures, and whatever claim to fame I may have is largely attributable to that effort. It is also fair to say that the movies with which I have been associated have, for the most part, dealt with real people and real-life adventures. This book is no different.

When beginning the research for this book I assumed the greatest difficulty would be in finding people who were willing to share what are often very personal and private experiences. I was wrong. In fact, just the opposite is true. Once the word got out that we were seeking first-person accounts of true yet miraculous experiences, we quickly discovered that there are an amazing number of people not only willing but eager to share their own private miracles.

The greater task has become one of editing, for which I take sole responsibility. The criteria used for determining which stories to use and which to perhaps save for another time were purely subjective and no attempt was made to determine whether one story had more veracity than another. Instead I used the simple expedient of "going with" the depiction of those events that tugged a little more at my heartstrings, or perhaps did a little better job of demonstrating that "believing" is a bit of a miracle in and of itself, and one worth pursuing.

Upon completion of the selection process I discovered that the stories seemed to fall into five somewhat indistinct and rather general categories. They are:

MIRACLES THAT SAVE LIVES: While it is true that many of the stories have matters of life and death at their core, some seem to serve that single purpose more explicitly.

MIRACLES OF PERSONAL GROWTH: Frequently we came across stories of miraculous occurrences that have, as an ultimate result, the reshaping of people's lives to the extent they rise above themselves or become devoted to helping others.

MIRACLES OF FAMILY DEVOTION: Many of the stories we reviewed had as their central theme family togetherness, the prevention of a family's disintegration, or the saving of a particular family member.

MIRACLES THAT DEMONSTRATE TRANSCENDENT LOVE: In this category we found some of our most compelling events. There is no doubt that love can transcend all other obstacles, including death.

MIRACLES OF RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE: It would be foolhardy to embark upon a work concerning miracles and attempt to overlook the significance of religious faith in the process. Indeed, the word miracle has its roots in the very substance of religion, as the events depicted in this category aptly demonstrate.

The marvelous events described in the following pages all happened. They are real events that took place in the lives of real people and in every case each seemingly isolated occurrence brought about a change not only in the lives of those directly involved but, like ripples on a pond, spread outward to touch the lives of others in a unique and marvelous way that truly made the world we live in a little better place. That unique aspect of these phenomena is one of the reasons I became convinced that stories such as these must be shared.

In a way you could say I came to this project by accident. Certainly I didn't just get up one bright summer morning and decide I was going to go out and discover my own miracle, but in fact that's what happened. An event took place in my life that persuaded me beyond any shadow of a doubt that such things are not only possible, they are, under the right circumstances, probable.

As you read through these pages you will encounter ordinary people doing ordinary things who are suddenly and inexplicably an integral part of something quite extraordinary, even miraculous. I know. It happened to me and my life was changed in ways I never would have imagined.

My purpose in writing this book (and producing the CBS television series of the same name) is to help everyone realize that miracles happen every day; that they serve a greater purpose than even the participants realize, and that far from being random events, unique to a particular type or group of people, miracles are the stuff of everyday life, intended to remind us that we are more, much more, than just a complex biological organism.

Let me begin by telling you of my own .

Charles E. Sellier

PART I

MIRACLES THAT SAVE LIVES

CHAPTER 1

MOUNTAIN MIRACLE

For many years I made my home in Park City, Utah, an old mining town turned ski resort located high in the Wasatch Mountains and most prominently known as the training center for the United States Olympic ski team. The crisp, cold winters, the mild springs and summers, and the blazing falls that splash a kaleidoscope of colors across the Wasatch Mountains suit me perfectly. Of course, the fact that Park City is just a short, scenic drive down Parley's Canyon to Salt Lake City is a plus, too, since that's where Sun International Pictures, Inc., my motion-picture production company, is located.

Fifteen years ago I decided I wanted to give something back to the community that afforded myself and my family so much enjoyment. I became a certified police officer for the state of Utah and volunteered my services to the Wasatch County sheriff's office. Over the past fifteen years I have gone out on many patrols, but none of them was more significant than the one I am going to tell you about.

Just southeast of Park City, not more than fifteen miles, lies the small farming community of Heber City. Before Park City became a major international ski resort and tourist mecca, Heber City was the hub of activity for this area. It is still the political center of Wasatch County and is home to all county government offices, including the sheriff's department.

Because my duties as a volunteer deputy sheriff were so integral to the events that transpired that day, it's important to give you some idea of the area I was required to serve. Heber Citycalling it a "city" is really a bit extravagantserves as a gateway to a number of recreational areas, among them Strawberry and Deer Creek reservoirs and the many lakes and campgrounds of the Uinta Mountains. It was my job to run the main roads leading into and out of these areas, assist the Heber City officers if necessary, and be available for any emergencies that might arise in and around a primary patrol area of some forty-five square miles.

The weekend in question just happened to be the Fourth of July weekend. Typically on the Fourth of July in this part of the world things are pretty quiet. The big celebrations take place in Provo or Salt Lake and the Wasatch County sheriff's office was principally involved with making sure the seemingly endless line of boats and campers got to Strawberry, Deer Creek, or the many campgrounds of the Uintas.