A Miracle Amidst the Messiness of Life

New podcast, a book recommendation, and a glimmer of hope for us all

Hey my friend!

It’s Good Friday, a day where we remember that even the worst event in human history is somehow the beginning of the only lasting, real hope for all of us.

I have another example of that type of hope springing up from the ashes of pain and the messiness of life for you today on the podcast. I’m excited to introduce you to Angie Howell, a pediatric nurse and mother of eight who has a remarkable story of faith and resilience.

I heard about Angie from our mutual publicist, Pamela McClure, who told me about this story. Pam said, “Lee, you have to check this out. It’s a medical miracle.”

To be honest with you, I get emails like this all the time, and I approach such stories with a healthy degree of skepticism after almost 25 years of practicing neurosurgery. But I trust Pam, so I asked her to send me the information. She connected me with Angie and sent a copy of Angie’s new book, Jewel of Heaven, along with a file of all the medical information.

That’s when the surprises started for me.

I had a night two weeks ago when I couldn’t sleep; a series of hopeless cases and other stresses had me forgetting to practice self-brain surgery, and I found myself up at two o’clock in the morning. I remembered Pam’s email, so I decided to check it out.

Angie’s book is about her daughter Jade, born with a devastating and eventually fatal brain anomaly that is plain to see on her MRI scan. Only Jade didn’t die. After I looked at the records I decided to flip through the book, figuring that reading for a while might help me go back to sleep.

But that’s not what happened.

I read this book straight through in about five hours. I couldn’t stop reading, and I shed many tears. And as person who has seen tens of thousands of brain scans, I can assure you that the change in Jade’s scans over time simply do not happen naturally. There is no way to explain what happened other than that she was healed in response to intercessory prayer, from the most unlikely people.

The story is incredible, and the book is unforgettable. In an engaging and incredibly well-written narrative, Angie shares her emotional journey through an unexpected pregnancy during a tumultuous time in her life, her struggles with faith, and her daughter Jade's miraculous healing from a severe brain condition.

Pam arranged a time for me to interview Angie for the podcast, so I could share the story with you. In our conversation, Angie her experiences, Jade’s troubles, and the transformative power of prayer and faith. We explore the challenges of chronic illness, the importance of support systems, and the incredible moments that define their journey. Angie’s story serves as an inspiration for those facing their own struggles, emphasizing that miracles can happen when you least expect them.

Here’s a clip to give you a preview of this incredible episode.

It’s one of those books that reminds me of the best stories from scripture, where we see God moving in people’s lives, intervening in our messy stories in ways that give us hope, even though life is still so very hard and things don’t end the way we want them to. It doesn’t get wrapped up in a pretty bow; there’s no denouement in this story, only grit and healing and grace and hope. There are miracles amidst the mess, hope amongst the chaos, and broken people who find new purpose even as their lives don’t magically get back to “normal,” whatever that means.

Whatever you planned to do today, I hope you’ll take an hour to listen to this podcast, and I highly encourage you to read Angie’s book Jewel of Heaven.

You can also watch the entire episode on YouTube!

Resources and Links

• Angie's website (coaching, her book, and more!)

• Be sure to check out my latest book, Hope Is the First Dose!

• Sign up for my weekly Self-Brain Surgery Newsletter here! (50% off on paid subscriptions until May 1!)