Insights

Janeen did not know Eric or Katie Stogner when she was asked to pray for them.  

I  met Jim Weathers at a tea shop Peachtree City (Georgia). On Sunday evenings after they were closed, people were welcome to come together as a community to pray for each other, our community, our country or anyone who needed prayer.  

Jim would come to our Sunday night  sessions sometimes with his wife Marianne. We became good friends and Jim and Marianne are like family to me and my kids.  

Jim called one morning after he had attended the “Log Cabin” Friday morning men’s group that I believe Eric Stogner started. He said Eric’s wife Katie was in the hospital again fighting cancer and was in serious need of some  prayer warriors to help with their situation. Even though I had never  met Eric or Katie, Jim had mentioned their situation before at our Sunday night prayer group. I told him, of course I would pray for Eric and Katie. It would be an honor to be one of their prayer warriors.  

Several times throughout the day I prayed for them, and also before I went to sleep that evening.

I had a dream so vivid that it still seems like I just had that dream.

Jesus was dancing with a woman who had shoulder-length brown hair. I didn’t see her face. She was facing Jesus. He was taller than her and he was looking at her and smiling and talking to her. Like you would expect of two people dancing. They were both in flowing white gowns and there was bright light all around them. I didn’t hear music or their voices, it was more like I was observing them.

She was in Jesus’ arms – just happily, joyfully, dancing around. It was so beautiful.

I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. The image was very calming and filled me with joy.

Then I recalled I was supposed to be praying for someone’s healing and I  just had a dream of a woman dancing with Jesus. If that was Katie dancing with Jesus then she wasn’t being healed of her cancer.

I called Jim Weathers to tell him about my dream. We were used to praying for people and hearing they were healed – not that they were going to Heaven. I was a bit shaken by the experience. But Jim was thrilled to hear of my dream and asked me to call Eric and tell him about it. Jim had already heard of Eric’s dream so he knew my dream was another piece to the puzzle Eric was trying to piece together.

I was a bit  nervous about calling Eric since I didn’t know him or Katie, and I  wasn’t sure how he would take the news of my dream. Turned out, Eric was  very interested to hear my dream and has shared it with others. I met Eric in person shortly after our phone conversation so he could hear the dream again. I was even able to visit Katie at Hospice before her passing.

Eric and Katie managed to touch so many lives through their journey. I feel truly blessed and honored to be a small part of the story.

The image of Jesus dancing brings me peace to this day. I certainly don’t fear dying when I know I’ll be dancing with Jesus in Heaven one day, too.

Janeen

The author’s wife, Katie, loved children. And they loved her. Here is  the account by one of those children soon after Katie’s passing from this life into Heaven.

Just a few days before the loss of beloved Mrs. Katie Stogner, I went to visit her in hospice. (January 9, 2010) The last words she said to me were, “I will watch over you, Amanda, I promise. Don’t worry about me.”

On Thursday, January 14, 2010, the same day Mrs. Katie left us, there is proof that she kept that promise to me.

I was lying on the floor of my room on my back, staring up at the  ceiling, very upset. It was dark in my room, almost pitch black. I was awake because I had just entered through the door.

As I looked up at the ceiling, an angel appeared. I couldn’t make out the face until she was fully formed. Once I did see her face, it was Mrs. Stogner!

She was in a white robe so long I couldn’t see her feet. She had the most beautiful face in the universe. And she had the same beautiful smile, and the same sparkling eyes.

It was the most magnificent thing I’d ever seen. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Was this a dream?

What was I supposed to do?

I stared, speechless, at the angel speaking soft words in Mrs. Katie’s voice.

She said to me, “Do not be afraid. Heaven is wonderful. I can’t wait to see you here someday.”

She was healthy and happy.

She loved Heaven.

It was so comforting and exciting.

Then she reached down her hand and I reached up mine.

I felt her firm grasp. Her grasp was very weak in hospice.

She was really there!

She held my hand and rubbed her thumb up and down as she did to me in hospice. She did this for quite some time, until she slowly faded away without saying another word.

I was too speechless to say anything.

Just then my mom came in to check on me. I was staring up at the ceiling, still too speechless to say anything.

She asked me, “What are you staring at?”

I told her, “Mrs. Katie was just in my room!”

I explained exactly what she said, how she looked, and how she felt.

The next morning, sitting on my dresser, placed ever so carefully so I could see it when I woke up, was a stuffed animal bear. It was white  with sparkling angel wings, and it was on his knees praying.

In its hand it held a small glass bottle with a transparent purple liquid that smelled very sweet.

I had never seen this bear angel before in my life.

It was the amazing proof that Mrs. Katie kept her promise.

Just the next day, after Mrs. Stogner came to me, I told Mr. Eric Stogner. He thought that was truly amazing, just as I did.

This was truly an amazing experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. I am blessed to have known her.

Amanda