Copyright Page
2016 by James Bell & Associates
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016930776
ISBN: 978-1-4412-2930-4
An Unexpected Answer by Ingrid Shelton adapted with permission from Not a Teacher! in Therese Marszalek and Sheri Stone, Miracles Still Happen (Tulsa: Harrison House, 2003).
The Pink Vanity Miracle by Tom Cornelius, as told to Joyce Williams adapted with permission from A Little Girls Christmas Prayer in Joyce Williams, God Sightings (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2009).
Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations, marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2011
Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The following are true stories, but some details and names have been changed in order to protect privacy.
Editorial services provided by Jeanette Gardner Littleton Publication Services.
Cover design by LOOK Design Studio
Cover photo: Super Stock; Cultura Limited
Dedication
To my daughter Brigit Bell Ritchie in remembrance of the Jesus stories we read together so many years ago
Epigraph
All grown-ups were once childrenalthough few of them remember it.
Antoine de Saint-Exupry, The Little Prince
Acknowledgements
Thanks go to David Horton, Andy McGuire, Ellen Chalifoux, Carissa Maki, Hannah Carpenter, and Stacey Theesfieldyou are all so appreciated.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Epigraph
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Like Lava-Hot Electricity
Susan M. Watkins
Giants in the Land
Wanda J. Burnside
We Never Have to Say Good-bye
Trish Propson
The Heavenly Messengers
Diane M. Nunley
Jesus Outside the Window
Heather Spiva
Wonders in the Night Room
Suzelle Johnston
Holy Laughter
Jeanne M. Phelan
Bev Gattis
Pulling Our Heartstrings From Heaven
Lisa Plowman Dolensky
In the Palm of His Hand
Elissa M. Schauer
Gods Waiting Room
Kendy Pearson
A Belated Good-bye
Linda OConnell
Jesus Played With Me!
Verda J. Glick
The Sanctuary Light
James Stuart Bell
A Special Visitation
Sandra L. Hickman
A Welcome Friend
Laura L. Bradford
To Keep Thee in All Thy Ways
Catherine Ulrich Brakefield
Life Is Like a Ball of Yarn
Tracey Dale-Akamine
Putting Him First
Debra McCann
Valerie Avery
Jesus Talked to Me
Agnes Lawless Weaver
Matties Angel
Joann Claypoole
A Visit From the Healer
Dawn Aldrich
Hope Beyond the Smoke
Julie B. Cosgrove
His Name Is Enough
Dianne Fraser
He Floated in Front of the Cross
Judith Victoria Hensley
A Very Special Easter
Lynnette Goldy
The Black Hag From Hell
Kate Barrows
My Angel Watching My Heart
Marie Weaver
The Dream Changer
Laura Broadwater
The Providential Dental Appointment
Delores E. Topliff
David R. Kenagy
Angel on a Ladder
Karen Dorsey
The Pink Vanity Miracle
Tom Cornelius, as told to Joyce Williams
Trapped Beneath the Surf
Anne Garboczi Evans
An Unexpected Answer
Ingrid Shelton
A Still, Small Voice
Tim Hamblin
Assurance in Prayer
Patricia L. Stebelton
Jesus in My Pocket?
Kathy Sheldon Davis
In My Distress, He Heard Me
Audrey Carli
The Night of the Jackal
Sylvia Stewart
About the Contributors
About the Author
Books Compiled and Written by James Stuart Bell
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Back Cover
Introduction
Jesus in the Gospels has important things to say about children. He implies that they are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, their angels continually see the face of God, and it would be better for an adult to drown in the sea than to harm a child.
Though children are born with a sin nature and can be self-centered, it seems that there is also an original innocence they have that displays its own beauty and charm and reminds us indirectly of what we have lost over the years as adults. In effect, Jesus is saying that we should emulate the simple faith, trust, and love that children naturally possess.
As parents and grandparents, we write down their cute sayings and revel in delight at recent videos showing the precious antics of these little ones as they grow bigger. As they become older children, and even teenagers, we marvel at their insights and precocious points of view. There is the temptation to shelter them to avoid the worlds moral pollution, and yet we know that they have to face the world as it is and hopefully transform it through their relationship with Jesus.
What may be lost to us, however, in the midst of the birthday parties, soccer matches, and dramatic skits, is the still, small voice of Jesus speaking to us in profound and miraculous ways. Just as He told His disciples not to hinder the children from coming to Him, so we should pay closer attention to our children when they do go to Jesus, seeking His reality in their lives.
Children have a natural affinity for the supernatural. They willingly accept the reality of Jesus because their loving, caring parents tell them He is real, and they can often see Him mirrored in their parents lives. At times we do not realize the spiritual depth of Jesus encounters that our children experience after having accepted Him in literal childlike faith.
And that is what this book is aboutexperiences of Gods supernatural realm from the innocent eyes and ears and hearts of children and teenagers. Enjoy these stories from the mouths of babes and be open to hear from the Lord in fresh, sweet, and pristine ways as He enables you, too, to experience Jesus with a more childlike faith than you ever have before.
James Stuart Bell